News

Thanks to the generosity of many researchers in the field of Bacillus research, we have accepted donations for several new strains over the past year. We are happy to announce that those strains have now be added to our online catalog and are available for order. Please be on the lookout for more announcements as we introduce these new strains.

Thank you all for your patience during our transition! We're scaling down our COVID-19 testing operation and that has allowed us much needed time to catch-up. We recently completed a transition from a manual credit card console to an online credit card payment processing system. This allows us to send you a direct payment link through email, providing you the flexibility to complete payment at your convenience. We're also working hard on a new website with integrated payment processing which we hope to launch this fall.

Please direct all inquiries to our new email address - asc-microbioservice@osu.edu. Our team will follow-up with you by email and can schedule calls as needed. Thank you!

Jeff

As many of you have heard, I am retiring from Ohio State on 28 February and will be working as an independent consultant. Beginning 1 March, the BGSC will have a new collection manager, Jeff Jahnes. Jeff came to Ohio State in 2013, first serving as Laboratory Supervisor for the Department of Microbiology, then in 2019 assuming the directorship for the Applied Microbiology Services Lab (AMSL) at Ohio State's Infectious Diseases Institute. As the pandemic unfolded, Jeff was charged with developing and managing the COVID-19 testing facility that serves Ohio State's 50,000+ students. He's done a fantastic job in these positions, so I feel fortunate that he has agreed to direct the BGSC. Strain maintenance and distribution will continue uninterrupted during the transition, but please be patient: Jeff and his team do face a bit of a learning curve as they implement and eventually improve upon our systems. Jeff's contact information is below:

email: ASC-microbioservice@osu.edu

office: +1 614-292-3490

I want to thank the Bacillus research community for all the positive interactions and teamwork over the last 35 years. Our field seems to attract talented, interesting, creative people who value collaboration. I hope to stay active in science through consulting, editing, and writing. If you want to get in touch with me, my OSU email address should remain active (zeigler.1@osu.edu). Best wishes for a safe and productive 2021--and beyond!

Five copies of the FreeGenes "Bacillus subtilis genes (E. coli codon optimized) expression library" are available. As described on the FreeGenes website, "261 essential genes from Bacillus subtilis, codon optimized for Escherichia coli in MoClo-compatible high-copy ampicillin resistance backbones. Shipped in Escherichia coli Top10 in three 96 well plates." I will distribute them on a first come, first served basis this week only. (Of course, you can also obtain them from FreeGenes after the week is up.) Please contact me directly for details at zeigler.1@osu.edu.