"It’s the ninja of pathogens," Mark said, crouching to inspect the ham like a bomb disposal expert. "It’s a Gram-positive rod. Facultative anaerobe. It doesn't care about oxygen. But the real kicker? It psychrotolerant."
"Mark, it’s fine," his roommate, Jenny, whispered through his AirPods. She was currently safe in her apartment, eating takeout that cost three times as much. "It’s sealed. Just buy it."
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacillus responsible for the foodborne illness listeriosis. Using the SketchyMicro framework (visualized as a "rock climbing wall" with a "refrigerator," "safety helmet," and "pregnant woman"), this paper correlates key microbiological features, pathogenesis, clinical syndromes, and treatment. listeria monocytogenes sketchy
Mark swayed. The $2.99 price tag was seductive. His bank account was currently weeping. He tossed the ham into his basket. He grabbed a bag of slightly wilted spinach and a suspiciously dented can of diet soda.
"I’m looking at it," Mark said. He unwrapped the package. The smell hit him. It wasn't rotten, per se. It was just... complex . A tangy, fermented note that danced on the edge of wrong. "It smells like a biology lab on a hot day." "It’s the ninja of pathogens," Mark said, crouching
He ate it.
Mark stood in front of the deli cooler, paralyzed. He was a man of science, or at least a man with a Bachelor’s in Biology he used to win bar trivia. He knew the invisible war being waged in the cold cuts aisle. It doesn't care about oxygen
The fluorescent lights of the "Food-4-Less" buzzed with a low, headache-inducing hum. It was 11:45 PM on a Tuesday, the purgatory of grocery shopping.
: The #3 cause of newborn meningitis; represented by a helmet on a newborn baby or Santa.
Mark reached in, grabbed the package, and threw it into the trash can with a wet thwap .
Mark picked up the ham. It felt slimy through the plastic. He squinted at the expiration date. Sell by: Yesterday.