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PATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI
Citation:
Rice*, E W. PATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI. Bitton, G. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology. John Wiley & Sons Incorporated, New York, NY, , 2337-2339, (2002).
Description:
Escherichia coli is a bacterial species which inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of man and warm-blooded animals. Because of the ubiquity of this bacterium in the intestinal flora, it serves as an important indicator organism of fecal contamination. E. coli, aside from serving as a sanitary indicator, has played an important role in the science of microbiology. It has been extensively utilized as amodel organism in a variety of physiological and genetic research studies. The recent sequencing of the E. coli genome bears witness to the continued importance of this microorganism in scientific research.