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Methods for Culturing Anaerobic Microorganisms

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Oxygen Sensing

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2648))

Abstract

Anaerobic microorganisms (anaerobes) proliferate in diverse oxygen-free environments. They inhabit Earth’s soils and aquatic sediments, the rumen and gut of mammals, and the gut of insects among many other oxygen-free environments. Anaerobes impact biotechnological, biomedical, ecological, and astrobiological fields. Sensitivity to oxygen is of prime consideration for successful culturing which is essential to understand function. Although cultivated for many years, the protocols and media components have been modified and adapted to the special needs of species, as well as conditions and variables for experimental evaluations. Here we describe a revised method used in our laboratories for the growth of methane-producing anaerobes (methanogenic archaea) which are among the most oxygen sensitive. The method is an example for the preparation of more specific media to cultivate a wide diversity of anaerobes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the US Department of Energy through grant DE-FG02-95ER20198 (to J.G.F.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez & James Gregory Ferry

  2. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez

Authors
  1. Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez
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  2. James Gregory Ferry
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Emily E. Weinert

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Santiago-Martínez, M.G., Ferry, J.G. (2023). Methods for Culturing Anaerobic Microorganisms. In: Weinert, E.E. (eds) Oxygen Sensing. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2648. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3080-8_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3080-8_14

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-3079-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-3080-8

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