'Omics' for microbial food stability: Proteomics for the development of predictive models for bacterial spore stress survival and outgrowth

Bacterial spores are ubiquitous in nature. They are stress resistant entities that are a concern to microbiological food stability due to their environmental stress resistance. In addition germinating and outgrowing spores at undesired times and places pose a significant health burden. The challenge is amplified due to the heterogeneous germination and outgrowth behaviour of isogenic spore populations. We discuss the role of different 'omics' techniques, proteomics in particular, to study spore biology in detail. With examples, the use of label-based and label-free quantitative proteomics approaches in understanding the spore physiology is demonstrated. Also the need of genomics, single cell analyses and analysis of cellular physiology is discussed briefly. Certainly accurate comprehensive data obtained from omics methods and molecular physiology will underpin the development of robust molecular models of bacterial spore germination and outgrowth.