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Biological indicators for steam sterilization: characterization of a rapid biological indicator utilizing Bacillus stearothermophilus spore‐associated alpha‐glucosidase enzyme
Author(s) -
Albert H.,
Davies D. J. G.,
Woodson L. P.,
Soper C. J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2672.1998.00607.x
Subject(s) - spore , spore germination , protoplast , enzyme , sterilization (economics) , biology , bacillales , bacillaceae , geobacillus stearothermophilus , biochemistry , bacillus (shape) , enzyme assay , endospore , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , bacillus subtilis , thermophile , foreign exchange market , genetics , monetary economics , economics , foreign exchange
Sterilization is the act or process, physical or chemical, that destroys or eliminates all forms of life, especially micro‐organisms. This term is absolute, i.e. a substance cannot be partially sterile (Joslyn 1991). Due to the difficulty in confirming sterility, a more practical definition of sterility has been adopted, defining sterility as the process by which living organisms are removed or killed to an extent that they are no longer detectable in standard culture media in which they have previously been found to proliferate (Joslyn 1991). In practice, assurance of a low probability of any living micro‐organisms remaining is used as a measure of sterility. Sterility of a particular item can only be confirmed by destructive testing of the item, which is not practical for most purposes.