News & Events

The new two-phase medium increases the range of possibilities in research using cultures of microorganisms

Our cryptogam specialists, Konrad Wołowski (phycologist), Andrzej Chlebicki (mycologist) and Lucyna Śliwa (lichenologist), in cooperation with researchers from the Research and Development Center ALCOR, have recently developed and patented a two-phase (liquid/solid) medium for culturing microorganisms. Their article on the advantages of using the new medium in axenic cultures (bacteria, algae, fungi and lichens) has just been published. It describes the effects of using the new medium in axenic cultures: bacteria, algae, fungi and lichens. The medium makes it to keep axenic cultures of microorganisms in collections over a long period of time. Due to the combination of the liquid phase (gel) and the solid phase (fine rock material of different mineral compositions partially embedded in the gel), the medium provides growth conditions similar to the natural ones. As such, it can be a breakthrough in studying the processes of biological mat formation and colonization of various substrates, which usually occur at the interface of the liquid, solid and gas phases.

The original article:

Wołowski K., Spisak W., Chlebicki A., Szar M., Kozak J., Śliwa L. 2022. Two-phase medium – a new approach to microbiological culturing. Cryptogamie, Algologie 43: 95–105. DOI

The article can be downloaded here: link.

Klebsormidium dissectum algae growing on a two-phase medium with limestone as a solid phase.
Photo: Krzysztof Stachowicz.

Petri dishes with Muriella decolor algae cultures on two-phase media that differ in the type of mineral.
Photo: Konrad Wołowski.