JOURNAL OF CULTURE COLLECTIONS
Volume 4, 2004-2005,
pp. 17-28
Anabiosis and conservation of microorganisms
Tsonka Uzunova-Doneva* and Todor Donev
National Bank for Industrial Microorganisms and
Cell Cultures, 1113
Summary
A literature review is made about the applied methods for microorganisms
preservation in the collection activity. Two groups of conservation methods are
described – in hypobiotic and anabiotic states. The first group aims reducing
to minimum the cell vital activity by storage under mineral oils, in water and
water solutions, inactivation in dryers etc.
The second group methods lead the microorganisms to an anabiotic state
by means of freezing and low temperature storage and by freeze-drying
(lyophilization). The main factors in the culture preparation before the
conservation are analyzed. They affect the cell resistance and survival and
include cultivation method, nutrient medium composition and pH, temperature
regime, aeration, culture physiological state, cell concentration, protection,
suspension equilibration etc. The influence of the factors and methods on the
survival of different microorganism groups – actinomycetes, bacteria, yeasts
and fungi, is considered.