Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Quantification of Acanthamoeba spp. Motility
Published on: September 20, 2024
Long-term, low-maintenance storage of Acanthamoeba strains
Jacob Lorenzo-Morales1, Sutherland K Maciver
1University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain.
Abstract:
A simple, low cost method is described for the long-term storage of the potential human pathogen Acanthamoeba. Amoebae are placed in dried, sterile clay pellets within which they form cysts that remain viable and pure for at least 5 years. This method compares favorably with other storage methods and requires no specialist equipment. We have demonstrated that amoeba stored by this method retain both their pathogenic potential and their small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence type.

