#medtechtrivia Blood spots in altar breads

Serratia marcescens is a rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is commonly known for its capability to produce a reddish-orange tripyrrole pigment called prodigiosin which resembles blood in appearance although it is only present in some strains. The fact that it typically grows on bread and communion wafers stored in moist places, has led scientists to suggest Serratia contamination as a possible explanation for transubstantiation miracles (the conversion of bread to the body and blood of Christ).

References:
- https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Serratia_marcescens
- http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/4/925.full.pdf+html

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