Convenient method for detecting 14CO2 in multiple samples: application to rapid screening for mutants

Abstract

A procedure is presented for the rapid screening of bacterial colonies to detect mutants unable to produce 14CO2 from a labeled precursor. The method is especially useful for mass screening for mutants that cannot be easily detected by their phenotypic characteristics. The use of Ba(OH)2 paper takes advantage of the well known insolubility of Ba14CO3, resulting in the fixation of 14CO2 immediately above the colony in which it was formed.