title: Bioengineering: a bacteriocin perspective.
abstract: While the bacteriocin Nisin has been employed by the food industry for 60 y, it remains the only bacteriocin to be extensively employed as a food preservative. This is despite the fact that the activity of Nisin against several food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria is poor and the availability of many other bacteriocins with significant potential in this regard. An alternative route to address the deficiencies of Nisin is the application of bioengineered derivatives of the peptide which, despite differing only subtly, possess enhanced capabilities of commercial value. The career path which has taken me from learning for the first time what bacteriocins are to understanding the potential of bacteriocin bioengineering has been a hugely enjoyable experience and promises to get even more interesting in the years to come.
authors.affiliation: Teagasc Food Research Centre; Moorepark, Cork, Ireland. paul.cotter@teagasc.ie
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D057005:Bioengineering / Q000639:trends; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009561:Nisin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D005520:Food Preservatives; C082508:lacticin 481; D009561:Nisin