ATCC’s microbial cultures are essential tools in pathogen detection, quality control, and vaccine development, helping to mitigate risks associated with foodborne illnesses and zoonotic diseases. From antibiotic-resistance surveillance to probiotic discovery, these strains enable high-impact research that strengthens both human and animal health. Moreover, ATCC’s commitment to biospecimen authentication and reproducibility ensures that research outcomes are trustworthy and globally recognized.
As food systems become increasingly complex and interconnected, ATCC continues to play a vital role in advancing food safety protocols, animal health diagnostics, and biotechnological innovation, reinforcing its position as a foundational resource in the life sciences.
The microbial backbone of food safety
ATCC maintains a vast catalog of bacterial species that are essential for food safety testing, quality control, and regulatory compliance. These strains are used in official assays and standards set by agencies like the FDA, AOAC, and ISO. They serve as reference points for validating methods, benchmarking technologies, and ensuring global consistency in microbial testing. Some of the most used species include:
- Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922™, 8739™, 35401™) – Widely used as reference strains in food microbiology for testing contamination and validating detection methods.
- Salmonella enterica (ATCC® 14028™) – A key pathogen in foodborne illness studies, used to test food processing and sanitation efficacy.
- Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC® 19115™) – Critical for testing ready-to-eat foods and dairy products.
- Bacillus cereus (ATCC® 11778™, 14579™) – Known for causing food spoilage and illness, used in heat resistance and toxin production studies.
- Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 33591™) – A major concern in food animal environments due to its biofilm-forming ability and antimicrobial resistance.
These strains are used to simulate real-world contamination scenarios, validate cleaning protocols, and develop new detection technologies, ensuring that food safety systems remain robust and science driven. In addition to maintaining high-quality source materials, ATCC formats some of these strains into easy-to-use formats for highly reproducible testing (e.g., MicroQuant™ or quantified DNA preparations).
Microbes that matter: ATCC strains are shaping the future of animal nutrition
ATCC strains are vital for food safety and animal research, helping fight zoonotic pathogens and support livestock gut health. For instance, Staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic-resistant biofilm-former, poses serious risks in animal settings. Studies using S. aureus strain 328 (ATCC® 33591™) show that Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. casei can cut biofilm formation by up to 48% via bacteriocins and biosurfactants.1 These findings highlight how ATCC strains enable the development of next-generation probiotics and microbiome-based interventions. ATCC also offers L. plantarum (ATCC® 10241™, 14917™, 8014™, or BAA-793™), L. delbrueckii (ATCC® 9649™, 7830™), and L. reuteri (ATCC® 23272™) strains that aid digestion, immunity, and microbiome balance.
ATCC further supports sustainable protein development through its avian, swine, bovine, and fish cell lines used in cultivated meat production. These authenticated cell lines accelerate innovation in alternative proteins and help lower the risk of zoonotic disease transmission—advancing both food safety and sustainability.
ATCC at the core: Microbial standards driving innovation in food animal sciences
ATCC’s microbial strains are essential to modern food safety and animal science, supporting everything from pathogen detection to probiotic development and sustainable protein research. Their integration with AOAC-validated methods ensures precision in microbial identification, resistance tracking, and nutritional studies. This drives safer, more resilient food systems and advances global food security.
In an era when reproducibility and scientific rigor matter more than ever, ATCC continues to fuel innovation across food-animal science and biotechnology. We provide materials that have undergone rigorous identity confirmation, purity verification, and genetic characterization using established laboratory methods. Each strain is supported by traceable provenance and, where applicable, is digitally linked to the ATCC Genome Portal (AGP), providing access to curated genomic data that enhances transparency, comparability, and confidence in use. This combination of physical authentication and digital validation ensures researchers are working with materials they can trust—today and over time
Did you know?
ATCC provides over 250 strains for food testing applications, including the GenomeTrakr Validation Strain Set.
Meet the author
Jeanette Rimbey, MS
Supervisor of Microbiology, Laboratory Operations, ATCC
Jeanette Rimbey is the Supervisor of Microbiology in Laboratory Operations at ATCC, where she leads teams dedicated to producing high quality microbial reference materials for the global research community. Her scientific background spans bacteriophages, driving research in microbial ecosystems, and antimicrobial therapeutics development, grounding her leadership in both technical depth and strategic insight.
Jeanette oversees a broad portfolio of BSL 1 and BSL 2 production workflows, driving scientific rigor, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Beyond this, she is driving a culture of mentorship and continuous learning, strengthening collaboration, and advancing process innovation to ensure the consistency and impact of ATCC’s biological materials.
Explore our featured resources
Food Testing
Rigorous quality control testing is essential to ensure food products are not contaminated before they get to the consumer. Trust ATCC food testing solutions for the authenticated reference materials needed to maintain outstanding food safety programs.
MoreFood Production Research
ATCC plays a vital role in supporting the food industry by providing microbial resources, expertise, and services that contribute to food safety, quality, innovation, and regulatory compliance.
MoreStandards and Controls
Support your testing and assay development needs with high quality reference materials and national consensus standards from ATCC.
MoreReferences
- Saidi N, et al. Anti-Biofilm Potential of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus Cell-Free Supernatant Extracts against Staphylococcus aureus. Adv Biomed Res 12: 50, 2023. PubMed: 37057221
