GB1295337A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1295337 Microbiological culturing device UNION CARBIDE CORP 9 March 1970 [10 March 1969] 11083/70 Heading C6F A microbiological culturing device comprises a culturing container e.g. a Petri dish, and a transparent substantially insoluble, hydrophilic gel integrally bonded to the container, and the gel is characterised in that: (a) it can be dehydrated and re-hydrated in the container without substantial loss of bonding to the container; (b) it can filter and retain micro-organisms on its surface while absorbing fluids in which the microorganisms are present; and (c) it can minimise swarming of motile organisms. The device may be prepared by adding to a culture container an aqueous solution of (A) a polymer of the formula: wherein R 1 and R 2 each represent hydrogen, an alkyl radical or an alkyl substituted aryl radical, and R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 each represent hydrogen or a methyl,phenyl or vinyl radical with a proviso that at least one of R 3 and R 4 and at least one of R 5 and R 6 are always hydrogen and n is greater than one, or (B) one of the following specified polymers or copolymers: polyethylene oxide, methyl or butyl substituted phenyl ethers of ethylene oxide polymers, copolymers of ethylene oxide with propylene, butylene or styrene oxide, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl methyl ether and copolymers of maleic anhydride with ethylene or vinylmethyl ether or (C) a copolymer derived from a major amount of a polymerisable monoester of acrylic acid having a single olefinic double bond and a minor amount of a diester of acrylic acid, the diester having at least two olefinic double bonds, and exposing the container and solution to a beam of high energy electrons to cross-link the polymer (or copolymer) and bond it to the container. Microbiological nutrients may be incorporated into the hydrogel immediately after its preparation and the resulting nutrientcontaining gel dehydrated. The culturing of Escherichia coli and of Proteus mirabilis (without swarming) is discussed in certain of the Examples. The device may also be used in the propagation of fungi, viruses and tissues of more complex organisms.