The problem isn't MOLD . . .
EXPLORE THE RESEARCH
The Science Behind Mold Remediation
Why BIOrganic uses beneficial bacteria as part of a different approach to mold control.
Mold remediation is about more than making mold disappear.
The first priority is always to find and correct the moisture problem that allowed mold to grow in the first place. Once the source is addressed and the affected materials are properly cleaned or removed, BIOrganic takes a different approach to the final treatment: rather than relying solely on harsh chemical disinfectants, we use a biologically based treatment containing beneficial bacteria, enzymes and plant-based ingredients.
Why?
Because an indoor environment does not need to be sterile to be healthy.
It needs to be dry, clean and biologically balanced.
The science behind this approach is still developing, but research on beneficial Bacillus bacteria provides an intriguing explanation for why these organisms may help suppress mold and other unwanted microbes.
What Are Probiotics?
When most people hear the word probiotics, they think of yogurt or digestive health. The basic idea is similar here. Certain naturally occurring bacteria can occupy surfaces, produce compounds that inhibit competing organisms, and consume available nutrients. In environmental applications, researchers have been studying whether these characteristics can be used to create surfaces that are less favorable to unwanted microbial growth.
Many probiotic cleaning systems use bacteria from the Bacillus family. These organisms are particularly useful because they can form durable spores that survive environmental conditions and become active when conditions are favorable. The goal isn't to create a sterile environment. It is to introduce beneficial microorganisms that can help compete with unwanted ones.
How Can Beneficial Bacteria Affect Mold?
Research has identified several ways that Bacillus species can interfere with fungal growth.
They Produce Natural Antifungal Compounds
Certain strains of Bacillus subtilis produce compounds including surfactin, plipastatin and bacilysin that can inhibit fungi. In one recent study, researchers incorporated B. subtilis into a paint formulation and found that it inhibited the growth of Aspergillus niger. When researchers removed genes responsible for producing some of these compounds, the antifungal effect was substantially reduced.
That's important because it demonstrates that the bacteria weren't simply occupying space. They were producing biological compounds that actively interfered with fungal growth.
They Can Produce Mold-Inhibiting Volatile Compounds
Other Bacillus species produce volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that can affect fungi without direct physical contact. Research involving Bacillus licheniformis found that its volatile compounds substantially inhibited fungal growth and completely inhibited sporulation in several Aspergillus and Penicillium strains. Studies involving Bacillus megaterium have similarly found reductions in fungal growth, spore formation and germination. These are laboratory findings, not a guarantee that every probiotic treatment will produce the same result in every building. But they help explain why researchers are interested in Bacillus as a biological tool for mold control.
Competition Matters Too
There is another piece of the puzzle. Mold spores are already part of the environment. The goal of remediation isn't to create a permanently sterile house, which isn't realistic.
EPA notes that some mold spores will remain indoors even after cleanup. What matters is preventing those spores from finding the moisture and conditions they need to grow. Beneficial bacteria may help by occupying available space and consuming available nutrients.
In one study of a commercial Bacillus-based probiotic surface cleaner, researchers found that the bacteria germinated and colonized treated surfaces, while the treatment substantially reduced formation of E. coli biofilms compared with untreated surfaces. That study involved bacterial biofilms rather than household mold, so it does not prove that the same reduction occurs with mold.
What it does demonstrate is an important biological principle:When beneficial microorganisms establish themselves on a surface, they can make that environment more difficult for competing organisms to colonize.
Why This Matters for Mold Remediation
This is where the BIOrganic approach differs from simply trying to kill everything. Chemical disinfectants can kill microorganisms quickly, but killing mold isn't the same thing as removing mold or solving the conditions that allowed it to grow.
The EPA specifically notes that routine use of chlorine bleach is not recommended for mold cleanup, and that dead mold can still cause allergic reactions. EPA also emphasizes that moisture control is the key to preventing mold from returning.
That leads to a more complete approach:
1. Find the moisture.
Identify the leak, humidity problem, ventilation issue or other condition supporting mold growth.
2. Correct the source.
Mold remediation cannot be considered complete if the underlying moisture problem remains.
3. Remove and clean the affected materials.
Mold needs to be physically removed. Simply killing it is not enough.
4. Treat the environment biologically.
Once the space has been properly remediated, beneficial microorganisms can be introduced as part of a strategy designed to make the environment less favorable to unwanted microbial growth.
That final step is where BIOrganic's approach is different.
Probiotics Don't Replace Proper Remediation
Probiotics are not a substitute for proper mold remediation.
A building with active moisture, significant mold contamination or damaged materials still needs appropriate remediation. The moisture problem must be corrected, and affected materials must be properly cleaned or removed.
Research suggests that probiotic approaches may be useful as a complement to proper cleaning and moisture correction, rather than as a replacement for them.
That is also consistent with EPA's basic guidance: clean up the mold and fix the water problem.
The value of probiotics is in what happens after the underlying problem has been addressed. Instead of trying to keep an environment sterile indefinitely, the goal is to create conditions that are less welcoming to unwanted microbial growth.
What Does the Research Actually Tell Us?
The science is still developing, but research into specific Bacillus strains has identified several properties that are relevant to biological mold control.
Laboratory studies have shown that certain strains can:
-
inhibit the growth of certain molds
-
interfere with fungal spore formation and germination
-
produce compounds with antifungal activity
-
colonize treated surfaces
-
compete with other microorganisms for space and nutrients
These findings help explain the biological principles behind probiotic remediation. They do not establish that every probiotic product will eliminate every type of mold in every building.
Environmental conditions matter. The particular bacterial strains matter. The formulation matters. And, above all, moisture matters.
For BIOrganic, that is why probiotics are one part of a broader approach, not a replacement for finding the source of the problem, correcting moisture and properly removing mold.
A Different Way to Think About Mold
For decades, much of mold remediation has focused on the idea of elimination: kill the mold, disinfect the surface and move on. Biological remediation asks a slightly different question:
What if the goal isn't simply to kill what we don't want, but to create an environment where it is harder for it to come back?...That is the idea behind probiotic remediation.
It is not about pretending that mold spores can be eliminated from the world.
They can't. ....It is about addressing moisture, removing contamination, and then using biology as another tool to help maintain a healthier indoor environment.
The science is still developing. But the research into Bacillus and other beneficial microorganisms gives us good reason to keep looking at what biology can contribute to mold remediation. ...And that is exactly why BIOrganic has chosen to make it part of its approach.
Our goal isn't simply to remove mold.
It's to help create a healthier environment that remains healthy.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
EPA guidance on moisture control, mold cleanup, prevention, and what it means to complete a remediation properly.
Should I Use Bleach to Clean Up Mold?
EPA's guidance on chemical biocides, bleach, sterilization, and why simply killing mold is not the same as removing it.
Peer-Reviewed Research
The Utilization of Bacillus subtilis to Design Environmentally Friendly Living Paints with Anti-Mold Properties
Research examining the ability of Bacillus subtilis and its naturally produced compounds to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus niger.
Investigation and Application of Bacillus licheniformis Volatile Compounds for the Biocontrol of Toxigenic Aspergillus and Penicillium spp.
Research investigating volatile compounds produced by Bacillus licheniformis and their effects on several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium.
Bacillus-Based Probiotic Cleansers Reduce the Formation of Dry Biofilms on Common Hospital Surfaces
Research examining how a Bacillus-based probiotic cleaner colonized treated surfaces and reduced bacterial biofilm formation.