A novel and convenient self-drying system for bacterial preservation

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Cell Preservation

Background:

• Long-term storage of viable prokaryotic cells is crucial for maintaining microbial culture collections.
• Existing preservation methods often involve complex procedures and can lead to significant cell stress and loss.
• There is a need for simple, effective, and low-stress methods for microbial preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an effective microbial preservation technology for long-term storage of viable prokaryotic cells.
• To evaluate the viability of prokaryotic cells after storage using the novel method.
• To assess the suitability of the method for maintaining microbial culture collections.

Main Methods:

• A novel preservation method involving contact of bacterial suspension microlitre aliquots with a pre-dried activated charcoal cloth matrix.
• The matrix is contained within a re-sealable system for storage.
• Minimal stress is applied to cells during an instantaneous drying step.

Main Results:

• A standard laboratory Escherichia coli strain was successfully revived after 390 days of storage at 4, 20, and 30 degrees C.
• Viability rates of approximately 20%, 6%, and 0.1% were observed at 4, 20, and 30 degrees C, respectively.
• Despite viability loss, sufficient microorganisms were recovered for culture collection maintenance.

Conclusions:

• The described method offers an effective approach for the long-term preservation of viable prokaryotic cells.
• The technique minimizes cell stress, leading to successful rehydration and recovery.
• This simple methodology is suitable for maintaining microbial culture collections, even with observed viability reduction over time.