Dsm IP Assets B.v.

Jennifer Mahony

Douwe Van Sinderen

Brian McDonnell

Roelof Hendrik Matthijs Kouwen

Pim Van Hee

Witold Kot

Laurens Leendert Hanemaaijer

Pieter Emiel Verloren Van Themaat

Stuart Ainsworth

Finn Vogensen

Brian Mcdonnell

Roelof Hendrik Kouwen

Van Pim Hee

The present invention relates to a starter culture comprising at least twostrains, wherein a first and a secondstrain are chosen from RGP group 1, RGP group 2, RGP group 3 and RGP group 4, with the proviso that the first and secondstrains do not belong to the same RGP group.

starter cultures

A kit useful for determining the phage susceptibility of one or more strains ofis described. The disclosure also describes methods for formulation of mixed defined starter cultures using strains from different phage sensitivity groups.

Methods and kits to determine the sensitivity of strains ofbacteria to phage infection

Bacteriophage Insensitive Mutants (BIMs) of threeparent strains were generated and characterized for phage sensitivity, sedimentation rate, cell chain length, phage adsorption and CRISPR loci alterations. Several BIMs showed an altered sedimentation phenotype as well as an increase cell chain length, reduced phage sensitivity, reduced phage adsorption and 100% identity in three CRISPR loci. The results show that the derived BIMs have become phage-resistant through a mechanism other than CRISPR.

Phage insensitive

The present invention provides a method for the construction of a bacteriophage-insensitive mutant of aparent strain whereby the bacteriophage insensitivity is not based on the CRISPR resistance mechanism but based on another mechanism. The method provides a protocol by which this can be achieved by inactivating one or more of the CRISPR systems present in a given strain. The invention also provides the bacteriophage-insensitive mutants as well as their use in a process for making a dairy product.

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Cork, Ireland

Jennifer Mahony