Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...

Microbial Growth Measurement: Direct Methods

Microbial Growth Measurement: Direct Methods

Direct methods for measuring microbial populations in a culture are essential tools in microbiology, providing quantitative data for various applications. Among these, microscopic counts, plate counts, and serial dilution are widely used techniques, each with unique principles and applications.Microscopic CountsMicroscopic counting involves the use of a Petroff-Hausser chamber, a specialized microscope slide with a grid and defined depth. By observing a liquid culture under a microscope,...

Techniques for Isolation of Pure Cultures

Techniques for Isolation of Pure Cultures

Microorganisms are routinely cultured in the laboratory using various techniques to isolate, grow, and quantify them for further study. These methods rely on inoculating microorganisms into a suitable growth medium under aseptic conditions to prevent contamination. Depending on the objective, inoculation can involve direct transfer or the use of diluted bacterial suspensions as the inoculum.Streak-Plate Method for IsolationThe streak-plate method is a common technique for obtaining pure...

Methods to Assess Microbial Populations

Methods to Assess Microbial Populations

Assessing microbial populations is crucial for understanding microbial roles in health, ecology, and industry. Various complementary techniques—both culture-based and molecular—enable detailed analysis of microbial abundance, diversity, and function.Viable Plate CountThe viable plate count is a traditional culture-based method used to estimate the number of living microbes in a sample. After serial dilution, the sample is spread onto nutrient agar plates. Each viable cell forms a visible...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Further observations on the mechanism of phage action.

The Journal of general physiology·2010

Same author

Effect of penicillin on the reaction between phage and staphylococci.

Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.)·2010

Same author

THE ELECTRICAL CHARGE OF BACTERIOPHAGE.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2009

Same author

THE PREPARATION OF RELATIVELY PURE BACTERIOPHAGE.

The Journal of general physiology·2009

Same author

THE PREPARATION OF A GRADED SERIES OF ULTRAFILTERS AND MEASUREMENT OF THEIR PORE SIZES.

The Journal of general physiology·2009

Same author

A METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF BACTERIOPHAGE.

The Journal of general physiology·2009

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Quantifying Microorganisms at Low Concentrations Using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM)

Quantifying Microorganisms at Low Concentrations Using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM)

Published on: November 1, 2017

A METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF BACTERIA IN SUSPENSIONS.

¹Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Princeton, N. J.

The Journal of General Physiology

|October 30, 2009

Summary

A new method accurately estimates bacterial cell concentration using packed cell column length in capillary tubes. This technique offers a rapid and precise approach for preparing bacterial suspensions with known cell densities.

More Related Videos

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials

Published on: March 3, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Quantifying Microorganisms at Low Concentrations Using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM)

Quantifying Microorganisms at Low Concentrations Using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM)

Published on: November 1, 2017

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials

Published on: March 3, 2023

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Biotechnology
Analytical Chemistry

Background:

Accurate bacterial cell concentration is crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
Traditional methods for cell enumeration can be time-consuming or require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel method for estimating bacterial cell concentration.
To provide a rapid, accurate, and routineizable technique for preparing bacterial suspensions of defined cell densities.

Main Methods:

Centrifugation of bacterial suspensions into fine-bore capillary tubes.
Measurement of the packed cell column length.
Validation of the method through direct cell counts.

Main Results:

The method demonstrated high accuracy, with total errors of over 2% for dense suspensions and approximately 5% for light suspensions.
The packed cell column length directly correlates with bacterial cell concentration.

Conclusions:

The described capillary centrifugation method is a reliable and efficient tool for estimating bacterial cell concentration.
This technique is suitable for routine laboratory work requiring precise bacterial suspensions.