Escherichia

British  

/ ˌɛʃəˈrɪkɪə /

noun

1. a genus of Gram-negative rodlike bacteria that are found in the intestines of humans and many animals, esp E. coli , which is sometimes pathogenic and is widely used in genetic research

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Etymology

Origin of Escherichia

C19: named after Theodor Escherich (1857–1911), German paediatrician who first described E. coli

Example Sentences

The authors add, "Escherichia coli Nissle 1917's tumor colonization synergizes with Romidepsin's anticancer activity to form a dual-action cancer therapy."

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

To test their hypothesis, the researchers built large-scale computer models of Escherichia coli bacteria.

From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025

The microbe used by Stephen Wallace, professor of chemical biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh, was Escherichia coli, better known as E. coli.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

Water quality samples collected near the Camp Richardson Resort revealed elevated levels of Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, according to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2025

In 1940, an experiment on the simplest of organisms—a microscopic, capsule-shaped, gut-dwelling bacterium named Escherichia coli—provided the first crucial clue to this question.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee