Spot the antibiotics producer: STREPTOMYCES
Antibiotics.
The human gets ill, goes downhill, forgets the dollar bill, takes a pill, regains will, re-feels the thrill.
It’s simply the recuperation cycle.
But, do you ever think about the fundamentals of having the chance of recuperation from infections?
Sure.
It’s thanks to the pill - the antibiotic.
Good job!
Now, zoom in deeper…
Do you actually know where this savior comes from?
Think no further than the soil.
Streptomyces.
ISOLATION OF STREPTOMYCES
1st step: Air dry the soil samples for 3-4 h at 45° for the selection of Actinomyces spores, considering that many other bacteria die during this pre-treatment
2nd step:Dilute 1-3g of soil in 10 ml saline solution (NaCl 0,9%) and let the solution stand for 15 min
3rd step: Prepare 3 dilutions (1:10, 1:100, 1:1000) out of it
4th step: Prepare the Mannitol Soy Agar (MSA) petri dishes
MSA RECIPE:
In a 250 mL conical flask mix:
- 2g Agar
- 2g Mannitol
- 2g Soya flour (Holland and Barrett)
- 10 mM CaCl2
- 100 mL Deionised water
Medium alternative: Inorganic Salt Starch Agar (ISSA)
5th step: Plate an aliquot of 0.1ml of each dilution on the medium (MSA)
6th step: Incubate at 30° for 5-7 days
Optional: Supplementation with cyclohexamide (50 μg/ml) and nystatin (50 μg/ml) to further remove competing bacteria
Inspiration: http://annadumitriu.tumblr.com/ - Anna Dumitriu https://exploringtheinvisible.com/ - Dr. Simon Park