[Department of Antibiotics: results of research activity during 80 years--since the foundation till now].

The paper on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the D.K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is dedicated to the research activity of one of its oldest subdivision--the Department ofAntibiotics.

[Taxonomical study of bacteria from genera Alteromonas and Pseudoalteromonas isolated from Black Sea water and invertebrates].

Nineteen (19) strains of bacteria have been isolated from the Black Sea water and invertebrates (mollusks and actinia). Most of them have been identified as Alteromonas macleodii, Pseudoalteromonas citrea and P. haloplanktis on the basis of polyphasic taxonomical analysis.

[Influence of cultivation conditions on the antibiotic activity in "Pseudomonas batumici"--batumin producer].

The optimum parameters of cultivation of "Pseudomonas batumici"--a producer of antistaphylococcal antibiotic batumin has been established. The periodical process of culture development and antibiotic synthesis has been studied. Conditions of batumin biosynthesis are the temperature 23-25 degrees C, aeration 0.

[Efficacy of diagnostic plates with batumin in identification and indication of staphylococci].

In investigations designed to study sensitivity of 763 clinical strains of microorganisms that belonged to different taxonomic groups with respect to batumin, a new antibiotic recovered from bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas, all members of the genus Staphylococcus displayed high sensitivity to batumin irrespective of their sensitivity or resistance to other antibiotics. High selectivity of batumin in respect to representatives of the genus Staphylococcus has been used to create a novel diagnostic preparation diastaph--a batch of paper disks with batumin (5 mkg) spread on them. Results of the trial given to the preparation diastaph suggest to us a high specificity of this identification option for staphylococci of different species in mono- and mixed cultures, a possibility of our using them simultaneously with or instead of the Hew-Leuffson medium, and an expediency of employment of batumin disks for a prompt preindication of staphylococci in a clinical setting while studying a material notable for a high probability that there are bacterial associations involving staphylococci.

[Antibiotic properties of the Pseudoalteromonas genus bacteria isolated from the Black Sea water and molluscs].

Antagonistic properties of 41 strains of Alteromonas-like bacteria isolated from the Black Sea water and molluscs have been studied. Being grown on the rich medium "B" for marine bacteria, 21% of strains have shown high antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi; 6% of strains inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris and Candida albicans. Spectrum of antagonistic activity was essentially changed on synthetic "BM" medium with acetate, glutamate, alpha-alanine as a single source of carbon and was directed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.