Dodecylamine rapidly kills of spores of multiple Firmicute species: properties of the killed spores and the mechanism of the killing.

There is a significant need for agents that can effectively kill spores of a number of Firmicute species, especially in wide area decontamination. Dodecylamine appears to be a universal sporicide with a novel mechanism of action, and this or some comparable molecule could be useful in wide area spore decontamination.