Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Animal cell – per se ; composition thereof; process of...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-06
2002-01-08
Weber, Jon P. (Department: 1651)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Animal cell, per se ; composition thereof; process of...
C435S235100, C435S243000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06337210
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an instant agar culture medium which can immediately be used as a culture medium merely by heating the agar culture medium packed in a container for culturing microorganisms such as bacterium for a short time. More specifically, the present invention is drawn to a process for the preparation of an instant agar culture medium, characterized by dissolving under heating 10 to 80% (by weight) of a prescribed amount of agar to be used in an agar culture medium in part of a prescribed amount of water to be used for dissolving culture medium components, cooling the obtained solution, separately dispersing or dissolving the rest of agar and other culture medium components in the rest of water, mixing the cooled solution with the separately prepared dispersion or solution, adjusting the viscosity of the obtained fluid to 40 to 4,000 mPa·s, packing the resulting solution into a container, hermetically sealing the container, and sterilizing it.
BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY
In the case of culturing microorganisms such as bacterium, the preparation of an agar culture medium has generally been performed as below. That is, an ager medium is prepared by weighing a prescribed amount of water into a container such as a large Erlenmeyer flask, adding prescribed amounts of powdery culture medium components including agar therein to disperse or dissolve the components, heating the obtained dispersion or solution to dissolve the agar, applying a cotton plug to the container, and sterilizing the medium by an autoclave or the like, and a prescribed amount of the resulting fluid is transfered into a chalet or the like, cooled and used for culture the microorganisms (edited by Tokyo University, Medical Studies Institute Alumni Association, “Summary of Practice of Microbiology”, pp. 34-57, Maruzen, 1989).
However, the above process has a disadvantage that the prepared culture medium is easy to contaminate and dry since the container is not completely sealed, and therefore it has a problem for storing the once prepared culture medium for a long period of time. Hence, the culture medium must be prepared before performing the culture of microorganisms, and extra working other than original studies or examination must be performed.
As techniques for solving the above problems, the following have been disclosed: a process for preparing a culture medium for microorganisms employing a sealing container comprising dissolving culture medium components in water, adjusting the pH of the obtained solution, packing the resultant solution into a pouch, and sterilizing it under pressurizing and heating (official gazette of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-11089/1987); and a culture medium obtained by packing culture medium components and a prescribed amount of water into a package, sealing the package and subjecting it to a heating sterilization treatment (official gazette of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-205854/1996).
However, for these prior arts, the former has problems from the viewpoints of workability in opening thereof and security from a scald since the culture medium is sealed in a bag; and for the latter, in the case of packing powdery culture medium components and water into a package, it has a problem from the viewpoint of packing operation, and in the case of dissolving under heating powdery culture medium components, it has problems from the viewpoints of the color tone of the culture medium and the deterioration of the culture medium components when the medium is sterilized.
In the above prior arts, it has been necessary to employ a process for preparing an agar culture medium just before use or a process comprising sterilizing an agar culture medium, storing it in a container for a long period of time, and dissolving it under heating at the time of use. In the case of the latter, it must be dissolved under heating by warm water or an autoclave and the like; however, since the culture medium components are heated over and over again during the preparation of the culture medium, as described above, it has disadvantages that the color tone, the gel strength of agar and nutrient components of the medium deteriorate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process for the preparation of an instant agar culture medium which can immediately be used as a culture medium merely by heating the agar culture medium packed in a container just before use for a short time, can be stored for a long period of time and little suffers from the deterioration of culture medium components.
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an instant agar culture medium which can be dissolved by heating for a short time just before use, characterized by dissolving under heating 10 to 80% (by weight) of a prescribed amount of agar to be used in an agar culture medium in part of a prescribed amount of water to be used for dissolving culture medium components, cooling the obtained solution, separately dispersing or dissolving the rest of agar and other culture medium components in the rest of water, mixing the cooled solution with the separately prepared dispersion or solution, adjusting the viscosity of the obtained fluid to 40 to 4,000 mPa·s, packing the resulting solution into a container, hermetically sealing the container, and sterilizing it.
According to the present invention, remarkable effects as below can be obtained: 1) a culture medium which little suffers from the deterioration of culture medium components can be provided; 2) a culture medium which can immediately be used merely by heating just before use for a short time can be provided; and 3) a culture medium which does not suffer from the change of properties due to storage for a long period of time can be provided.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have engaged in assiduous studies upon a culture medium which little suffers from the deterioration of culture medium components in view of the above prior arts, and as a result have found that all the problems of the above prior arts can be solved by dissolving under heating part of a prescribed amount of agar in part of a prescribed amount of water, cooling the obtained solution to a temperature till the agar is not set up, separately dispersing or dissolving the rest of agar and other culture medium components in the rest of water, mixing the cooled solution with the separately prepared dispersion or solution, adjusting the viscosity of the obtained fluid, packing the resulting solution into a container, hermetically sealing the container, and sterilizing it.
It is the objective of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of an instant agar culture medium which can immediately be used as a culture medium merely by heating the agar culture medium packed in a container just before use for a short time, can be stored for a long period of time and little suffers from the deterioration of culture medium components.
The present invention solving the above problems is a process for the preparation of an instant agar culture medium, characterized by dissolving under heating 10 to 80% (by weight) of a prescribed amount of agar to be used in an agar culture medium in 20 to 50% (by weight) of a prescribed amount of water to be used for dissolving culture medium components, cooling the obtained solution, separately dispersing or dissolving the rest of agar and other culture medium components in the rest of water, mixing the cooled solution with the separately prepared dispersion or solution, adjusting the viscosity of the obtained fluid to 40 to 4,000 mPa·s, packing the resulting solution into a container, hermetically sealing the container, and sterilizing it, and according to a preferred embodiment thereof, the viscosity of the obtained fluid is from 250 to 1,500 mPa·s, and the rate of agar to be dissolved under heating is from 30 to 60% (by weight; hereunder, same as above unless otherwise specified) of a prescribed amount of water.
Next, the present in
Kiyotaki Kenji
Kudo Tutomu
Mizuguchi Kenji
Sotoyama Kazuyoshi
Tanno Daiki
Morinaga Milk Industry Co. Ltd.
Patten Patricia D
Weber Jon P.
LandOfFree
Process for the preparation of instant agar medium does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process for the preparation of instant agar medium, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process for the preparation of instant agar medium will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2869374