Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria

In modern science, the exchange of scientific material between different institutions and collaborating working groups constitutes an indispensable endeavor. For this purpose, bacterial strains are frequently shipped to collaborators to advance joint research projects. Bacterial strains are usually...

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Main Authors: Phillipp Fink, Jong-Hee Kwon, Karl Forchhammer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bio-protocol LLC 2024-12-01
Series:Bio-Protocol
Online Access:https://bio-protocol.org/en/bpdetail?id=5125&type=0
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author Phillipp Fink
Jong-Hee Kwon
Karl Forchhammer
author_facet Phillipp Fink
Jong-Hee Kwon
Karl Forchhammer
author_sort Phillipp Fink
collection DOAJ
description In modern science, the exchange of scientific material between different institutions and collaborating working groups constitutes an indispensable endeavor. For this purpose, bacterial strains are frequently shipped to collaborators to advance joint research projects. Bacterial strains are usually safely shipped as cultures on solid medium, whereas the shipment of liquid cultures requires specific safety measures due to the risk of leakage. Cyanobacterial cultures are frequently maintained as liquid stock cultures, and this problem typically arises. This protocol describes a new method for the shipment of liquid cyanobacterial stock cultures by agarose gel embedding (SCAGE). More specifically, a cyanobacterial culture is mixed with low-melting agarose and cast into sterile plastic bags, resulting in a thin, solid cyanobacterial agarose gel (cyanogel) that can be easily shipped. After delivery, subsequent regeneration of the cyanogel material in liquid media results in full recovery of the examined bacterial strains. Thus, the packaging method devised in the present study comprises an innovative technique to facilitate the shipment of bacterial strains, whilst eliminating previously encountered issues like cell culture leakage.
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issn 2331-8325
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spelling doaj-art-46797e856cf340d7ad6dc20708905daa2025-08-20T01:57:24ZengBio-protocol LLCBio-Protocol2331-83252024-12-01142310.21769/BioProtoc.5125Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of CyanobacteriaPhillipp Fink0Jong-Hee Kwon1Karl Forchhammer2Organismic Interactions Department, Tübingen University, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tübingen, GermanyApplied Life Sciences (BK21), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, KoreaDepartment of Food Science & Technology and Institute of Agriculture & Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, KoreaOrganismic Interactions Department, Tübingen University, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tübingen, GermanyIn modern science, the exchange of scientific material between different institutions and collaborating working groups constitutes an indispensable endeavor. For this purpose, bacterial strains are frequently shipped to collaborators to advance joint research projects. Bacterial strains are usually safely shipped as cultures on solid medium, whereas the shipment of liquid cultures requires specific safety measures due to the risk of leakage. Cyanobacterial cultures are frequently maintained as liquid stock cultures, and this problem typically arises. This protocol describes a new method for the shipment of liquid cyanobacterial stock cultures by agarose gel embedding (SCAGE). More specifically, a cyanobacterial culture is mixed with low-melting agarose and cast into sterile plastic bags, resulting in a thin, solid cyanobacterial agarose gel (cyanogel) that can be easily shipped. After delivery, subsequent regeneration of the cyanogel material in liquid media results in full recovery of the examined bacterial strains. Thus, the packaging method devised in the present study comprises an innovative technique to facilitate the shipment of bacterial strains, whilst eliminating previously encountered issues like cell culture leakage.https://bio-protocol.org/en/bpdetail?id=5125&type=0
spellingShingle Phillipp Fink
Jong-Hee Kwon
Karl Forchhammer
Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria
Bio-Protocol
title Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria
title_full Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria
title_fullStr Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria
title_full_unstemmed Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria
title_short Shipment of Cyanobacteria by Agarose Gel Embedding (SCAGE)—A Novel Method for Simple and Robust Delivery of Cyanobacteria
title_sort shipment of cyanobacteria by agarose gel embedding scage a novel method for simple and robust delivery of cyanobacteria
url https://bio-protocol.org/en/bpdetail?id=5125&type=0
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