Design and Formulation of Microbial Culture Media

Abstract

This chapter discusses the design and formulation of microbial culture media. Culture media have been described for the successful cultivation of plant and mammalian cells, protozoa, fungi, and bacteria. A non-cellular culture medium for viruses has not yet been formulated. At first sight the various micro-organisms have little in common with each other and this impression is reinforced by the many thousands of diverse culture media described for their cultivation. The structural polysaccharide components of the cell walls make up a larger proportion of the dry weight. The nutrient environment may be divided into: (i) the physical environment-temperature, humidity, and atmosphere. (ii) The chemical environment-those chemical compounds supplied in culture medium to permit growth of micro-organisms. The energy source required by cells varies widely and the cells may be classified as: (i) Photosynthetic-demanding only light as an energy source. (ii) Chemo-lithotropic-deriving energy from oxidation of inorganic molecules. (iii) Chemo-organotrophic-requiring organic carbon compounds as energy sources, which often act as a carbon source as well. © 1970, Academic Press Inc. (London) Ltd