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A new derivative of phenylalanine, phenamide, was discovered from the fermentation broth of an actinomycete identified as a member of the Streptomyces albospinus cluster. Phenamide was purified using successive C18 reverse phase and cation exchange chromatography. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Its molecular formula, C14H20N2O3, was determined by HRFAB-MS. Phenamide showed activity against Septoria nodorum, the causal agent of wheat glume blotch.

A technique is described for obtaining most probable number estimates of the number of cells of a bacterial strain(s) when it is present in low numbers in the soil. The technique is based on the bacteriophage response that is elicited when a known number of bacteriophage for the bacterium of interest is incubated with soil dilutions in a nutrient broth. The technique was evaluated for use with gram-negative bacteria.