The Bacillus cereus group (BCG) is of great concern to pharma, food, and consumer care industries because members are often identified as contaminants in many manufacturing facilities and food products. Furthermore, isolates identifying as B. cereus have been one of the most frequently submitted organisms to Charles River Accugenix^® facilities, which processed over 400,000 samples in 2018 alone.

Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence has traditionally been used to differentiate between organisms in this group. However, the publication of the additional new BCG species brings a new level of complexity. There are many type species in the group with identical 16S rDNA sequences, and overall the species are too closely related to be accurately differentiated. Since organisms in the Bacillus cereus group can trigger different levels of concern for manufacturers, the classification and taxonomic separation of the BCG species is critical for investigations and environmental monitoring programs.

What can you do to ensure you’re correctly identifying members of the B. cereus group? This webinar will go over the most accurate method to differentiate BCG to the species level.