http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/authors/314/erin-b-byers Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:37:24 -0400 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:37:24 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/324/botulinum-toxins-bad-bug-or-miracle-medicine By Erin B. Byers - Botulinum toxin (abbreviated as BTX or BoNT for botulinum neurotoxin) is a protein produced by the spore-forming, anaerobic, bacilli bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum spores are found in soil and marine sediment worldwide as well as in the gastrointestinal tracts of some animals, including humans. Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are some of the most toxic proteins known with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 1 ng/kg to 3 ng/kg, depending on the transmission route (Montecucco & Molgo, 2005; Koirala, n.d.). Seven serologically distinct types of BoNT have been identified and are designated... Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/324/botulinum-toxins-bad-bug-or-miracle-medicine