Which organism is used for quality control in a dry heat oven?

Bacillus subtilis is the organism used for quality control in a dry heat oven due to its spore-forming ability and robustness in withstanding high temperatures. The spores of Bacillus subtilis can survive extreme heat conditions, making it an excellent biological indicator for assessing the effectiveness of sterilization processes, particularly in dry heat sterilization.

In quality control, a specific strain of Bacillus subtilis is incubated after a dry heat cycle, and the ability of the spores to germinate after exposure indicates whether the sterilization process was successful. If the spores do not grow, this suggests that the temperature and duration of the heating process were sufficient to kill the spores, confirming that the sterilization method was effective.

Choosing Bacillus subtilis for this purpose also stems from its established role in laboratory protocols, ensuring consistency and reliability across different settings when verifying the efficacy of heat sterilization.