USE OF MINERAL OIL IN THE MAINTENANCE OF CULTURES OF FUNGI PATHOGENIC FOR HUMANS

Abstract

IN MANY laboratories the stock culture collections of human-pathogenic fungi are maintained in a viable state by storage either at room temperature or in a cold room. To insure survival of the cultures, frequent transfers are required, and with large collections this duty is an arduous one. When maintained at room temperature, cotton-plugged cultures become dehydrated in a month or two and must be subcultured six or more times a year. At cold storage temperatures of 5 to 10 C. the transfer interval may be lengthened to three or four months. However, some of the fungi of medical importance (Microsporum audouini, Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton schoenleini) do not survive such low temperatures and must be stored separately at room temperature. In recent years several workers have investigated other methods of preserving fungi in a viable state for long periods. Raper and Alexander¹ successfully applied the process of lyophilization to