GB1053848A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,053,848. Aseptic propagation of microbial cultures. COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION. Nov.11 1963 [Nov.12, 1962], No. 44344/63. Heading C6F. Microbial cultures are aseptically propagated by aseptically transferring sterilized medium to a sterilized container, inoculating the medium in the container under aseptic conditions, incubating the inoculated culture under aseptic conditions, transferring a portion of the incubated culture to another vessel under aseptic conditions as by passing a sterile vapour into the container under pressure, thereby retaining a portion of the incubated culture in the container to serve as an inoculum for a fresh culture, supplying fresh sterilized medium under aseptic conditions to the container, and incubating under aseptic conditions the fresh culture formed. Bacterial, yeast and mould cultures used in the manufacture of cheese, yoghurt, cultured cream and cultured buttermilk, and in wine-and beer-making are instanced. Mention is made of employing bacteriophage -unrelated cultures, or pairs of such cultures, in cheese-making on successive days. The apparatus consists essentially of a jacketed container M for the propagation of mother cultures, a bulk culture (bulk starter) vessel V, and an autoclave A. The culture medium in the container M is inoculated through a membrane normally covered by a cap 12 and air, oxygen, carbon dioxide or other gas for the incubation is admitted through a sterilizing filter 17. The system includes a relief valve 18. The container M together with its associated valves 3, 4 and water cooled manifold 16, can be detached from the system at joints 8, 9, 10, 14 and 15, whereby a culture in the container may be incubated and then preserved by deep-freezing until required for use in the vessel V. Similarly, the air filter 17 and its associated valve 6 are detachable at the joint 11 for separate sterilization. Steam for sterilizing the system is generated in the autoclave A, wherein also the supplies of culture medium are first sterilized, before admission to the container M. Steam admitted to the container M through valve 3 forces a portion of the culture up through pipe 13 and valves 4, 5 into the vessel V. The operation of the apparatus is described in detail.