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Preservation of Microbial Pure Cultures and Mixed Communities

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Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols

Part of the book series: Springer Protocols Handbooks ((SPH))

Abstract

Microorganisms are valuable and irreplaceable resources for scientific research and biotechnological innovation and should be safeguarded. Therefore, systematic preservation of isolated pure cultures, enriched mixed cultures, or environmental samples should become an integral part of good research practice. Cryopreservation of biological material is a low-tech, widely applicable way of long-term and stable storage. Its success is mostly dependent on the cryoprotective agent, used to protect cells from mechanical injuries due to ice formation, the stability of the freezing temperature, and the correct manipulations before and after storage. Although cryopreservation success can be organism dependent, the protocol described here proved successful for various fastidious pure and mixed cultures when frozen at −80°C using 5% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide as cryoprotective agent. Numerous parameters of the protocol can be changed or optimized, and guidelines are given to develop a custom-made cryopreservation protocol.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology (LM-UGent), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Bram Vekeman & Kim Heylen

Authors
  1. Bram Vekeman
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  2. Kim Heylen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kim Heylen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom

    Terry J. McGenity

  2. Institute of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany

    Kenneth N. Timmis

  3. Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands and Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Balbina Nogales

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Vekeman, B., Heylen, K. (2015). Preservation of Microbial Pure Cultures and Mixed Communities. In: McGenity, T., Timmis, K., Nogales , B. (eds) Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2015_51

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2015_51

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-45178-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-45179-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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