Handling and growing filamentous fungi and yeast

Content:

Handling fungi in the microbiological laboratory. Special inoculation techniques for filamentous fungi. Microcultures. Observation and the description of the macroscopic morphology of fungi.

Overview:

The traditional methods to identify fungi are, to a great extent, based on the observation of their morphological characteristics. When identifying unicellular fungi (yeast) metabolic panels always have to be used to classify them correctly, although for filamentous fungi, the species can only be identified with macro and microscopic morphology tests. Indeed sometimes special culture techniques have to be used, so that the most distinctive structures of a specific species or genus can be seen properly under the microscope. In this sense, one of the simplest and most practical techniques is the microculture technique. The objective of the microculture is to allow the fungus under analysis to develop in conditions in which it can be observed under the microscope throughout its growth without handling the colony at all or just minimally to guarantee that its structures stay intact.

Specific objectives:

• Practice the yeast inoculation technique in solid culture media (Sabouraud agar)
• Practice the filamentous fungi inoculation technique in solid culture media (Sabouraud agar)
• Practice the microculture technique for filamentous fungi

Carrying out the practical:

1. Set up the filamentous fungi and yeast culture media in Sabouraud agar.
2. Prepare microcultures of filamentous fungi.
3. Observe the morphological characteristics of fungi.

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