Bacteria And Swiss Cheese And Acne Research

Food microbiologist Susan Barefoot and doctoral student researcher Priya Ratnam uncovered a new acne treatment that attacks bacteria unlike conventional commercial compounds. They have signed an agreement with a company to explore moving their find from lab to marketplace also.

The team made their discovery as they searched for proteins that act as natural food preservatives. Called a bacteriocin, the protein is a tiny bit of antibiotic-like matter produced by the bacteria used to make Swiss cheese.

Hoping that propionibacter would prove to be a good food preservative. But it wasn't. As a last resort, Barefoot had her graduate students try something different. Since propionibacter is a distant relative of the bacteria that causes human acne, they tested it on 150 samples of acne bacteria - hoping to find a new acne medication. This time it worked against every single strain they tested - all 150.

Scientific investigators do not expect 100-percent success rates, so Barefoot and her colleagues were somewhat incredulous and cautious about their findings.

Acne bacteria does not become resistant to propionibacter as it does to other products. Barefoot is hoping to move this breakthrough from her lab to your medicine cabinet. She has received several government grants and has partnered with the Immucell Corp., a biotechnology company. A cream made from propionibacter could be on the shelves within five years.