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Published on: February 14, 2011
[Preservation of high risk fungal cultures of Histoplasma and Cryptococcus]
C Carlos Manuel Fernández Andreu1, Luis Alberto Díaz Suárez, María Teresa Ilnait Zaragozi
1Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí, La Habana, Cuba. cfandreu@ipk.sld.cu
Introduction:
culture collections are responsible for providing the microbial resources for development of biological sciences. Storage in distilled water is one of the easiest and least expensive method for long-term fungal preservation.
Objective:
to evaluate the usefulness of this preservation method in fungal culture of Histoplasma and Cryptococcus.
Methods:
the preservation condition of the highest biological risk species from Histoplasma y Cryptococcus genera, included in the fungal culture collection of "Pedro Kouri" Institute of Tropical Medicine in Havana, was evaluated in this study. One hundred and two strains stored in distilled water, 92% of which had been preserved for more than 10 years, were analyzed.
Results:
the percentages of recovered strains from H. capsulatum, C. neoformans and C. gattii were 64.3%; 79.1% and 100% respectively. This method of preservation proved to be satisfactory for fungal culture in labs with limited financial resources. A web-based database with interesting information about the collection was made. The importance of strict compliance with the biosafety measures in these collections, particularly with high risk pathogens.
Conclusions:
preservation of fungal cultures in distilled water is a very useful method for laboratories with limited resources. Culture collections should be assumed as an essential activity in order to solve increasing challenges in the development of biomedical sciences.
Insights
Storing fungal cultures in distilled water is a cost-effective method for long-term preservation. This technique proved successful for preserving Histoplasma and Cryptococcus strains, even after a decade, supporting biological sciences research.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Culture collections are vital for microbial resources in biological sciences.
- Long-term fungal preservation using distilled water is an accessible and economical method.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of distilled water preservation for Histoplasma and Cryptococcus fungal cultures.
- To determine the viability of fungal strains after extended storage in distilled water.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated preservation of high-risk fungal species (Histoplasma, Cryptococcus) from a tropical medicine institute's collection.
- Analyzed 102 strains stored in distilled water, with 92% preserved for over 10 years.
Main Results:
- Achieved recovery rates of 64.3% for Histoplasma capsulatum, 79.1% for Cryptococcus neoformans, and 100% for Cryptococcus gattii.
- Demonstrated the method's suitability for laboratories with financial constraints.
- Developed a web-based database for the fungal collection and emphasized biosafety for high-risk pathogens.
Conclusions:
- Distilled water preservation is a highly effective and economical method for fungal cultures in resource-limited laboratories.
- Maintaining culture collections is crucial for advancing biomedical sciences.
- Strict adherence to biosafety measures is paramount, especially for high-risk fungal species.
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