Paper Title
Screening of Lactobacillus from Curd and Idli Batter for Production of Bacteriocins

Abstract
Bacteriocins are ribosomal proteins of bacteria that are synthesized during the logarithmic phase of cell growth cycle. These are antimicrobial products that kill or inhibit the growth of other closely related bacteria. As these are naturally synthesized, they are believed to be less toxic than artificially synthesized antibiotics and hence are �Generally Recognized as Safe� (GRAS). In addition to this anticipatory role of alternatives to conventional antibiotics, bacteriocins are used as preservatives in food and beverage industries. They are also sought to be highly specific therapeutic agents in cancer therapy. Studies show that bacteriocins are widely produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The following study aims at isolating novel bacteriocin producing strain from sources rich in LAB namely curd and Idli batter. The strains were isolated based on their antagonistic activity against indicator strains using cross-streak technique and agar well diffusion. Extraction and purification of the strains is currently carried out using Chloroform extraction. Characterization of the isolated strains will be done using gel electrophoresis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to further decode the properties of the bacteriocin. Index terms - Bacteriocins, ribosomal proteins, antimicrobial products, Cross-streak method, Agar well diffusion.