Host Basics_ Microbacterium testaceum

Microbacterium testaceum

A gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium that is the host for phage isolation in this course. It is a species within the genus Microbacterium and belongs to the phylum Actinobacteria.

Genus Microbacterium

A group of more than 90 species of gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria, including Microbacterium testaceum. They are slightly smaller than typical rod-shaped bacteria and have been isolated from various sources such as soil, water, plants, and cheese rinds.

Bacterial Lawn

A dense growth of bacterial cells on an agar plate. In the case of M. testaceum, a lush lawn can be achieved by adding a large number of bacterial cells (e.g., 10^7 or more) to the plate, resulting in rapid growth within 24 hours.

Colony Formation

The process by which individual bacterial cells multiply and form visible colonies on an agar plate. For M. testaceum, it typically takes about 2-3 days for a single cell to form a colony on an agar plate at 30 ˚C.

Cycloheximide

An antifungal compound that can be added to growth media to prevent the growth of other microorganisms. M. testaceum, the strain used in this course, is not inhibited by cycloheximide, allowing for selective growth of the bacterium in cultures.

Phage Isolation

The process of isolating bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, from a specific host bacterium. In this course, phage isolation is performed using Microbacterium testaceum as the host bacterium.

Growth Media: PYCa

The specific nutrient-rich media used for growing Microbacterium testaceum in this course. It supports the rapid growth and division of the bacterium at 30 ˚C.

Growth Temperature: 30 ˚C

The optimal temperature for the growth of Microbacterium testaceum. It is recommended to incubate the bacterium at this temperature to achieve rapid growth and reproducibility