Abstract
Filamentous bacteria pose unique challenges for testing multiple variables or growth parameters limiting the use of high-throughput methods. A semi-high-throughput growth assay system was developed to overcome these obstacles and validated for the filamentous actinobacteria Frankia. The 24-well plate assay was versatile for testing multiple growth medium parameters and provided reproducible results across wells and between plates. Under conditions of increased complexity, statistical analysis demonstrated that the variance was dependent on the experimental parameters and not the assay system. The 24-well plate assay was shown to be multipurpose for testing numerous variables on cell growth or other biological properties.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded in part by USDA NIFA 2010-65108-20581, National Science Foundation Grant No. EF-0333177, Hatch Grant NH530, and The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. This is scientific contribution number 2456 from the NH Agricultural Experimental Station. We thank Dr. Pat Wilkinson of the UNH Instrumentation Center and Jobriah Anderson of UNH Hubbard Center for Genome Studies for help with FTIR and RNA analysis, respectively.
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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.
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Furnholm, T., Beauchemin, N. & Tisa, L.S. Development of a semi-high-throughput growth assay for the filamentous actinobacteria Frankia . Arch Microbiol 194, 13–20 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-011-0748-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-011-0748-z