Escherichia coli is best known as a gastrointestinal pathogen in warm-blooded animals. For the last hundred years, its presence on beaches has been assumed to indicate fecal pollution, leading to beach closures. New research examines the genetic basis for recent findings that many strains of E. coli thrive harmlessly in soil, water and beach sand. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
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Source: Phys.org