Colony counts of unheated spores were higher in a medium at pH 5·9 than in media of higher pH. The pattern was reversed as the spores were heated. Slide germination studies showed that about 8% or less of unheated spores germinated in slide culture. Optimal heat activation resulted in about 50% germination. The colony counts of heat activated spores dropped significantly upon storage for 9 months, but those of unheated spores did not.
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Michael R. Brown (1965) studied this question.
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