Workshop report:Modeling the molecularmechanism of bacterial spore germination and elucidating reasons for germination heterogeneity

Abstract

Over the course of 2 days, top researchers in the fields of bacterial spore biology and computational biology discussed approaches to determine the cause of spore germination heterogeneity. Biological and mathematical data gaps were identified, and experimental approaches and computational strategies for modeling spore germinationwere presented and evaluated. As a result of these interactions, future research directionswere defined, the outcome of which should result in a robustmodel to help define themolecular mechanism(s) of spore germination. Mechanistic understanding of germination will be instrumental for developing novel sterilization, treatment, and decontamination strategies to mitigate threats posed by spores. © 2009 Institute of Food Technologists ®.