JPH0452758B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a microorganism or microorganism culture transfer device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a colony transplanting device that uses a metal wire having a pointed end as a transplanting means.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, new bacterial species are generally treated and cultured through the following nine steps.

It consists of (1) collecting soil, (2) diluting it with water, (3) planting it on an agar medium in a culture shear, (4) culturing it for a certain period of time in a warmer, and (5) propagating it on an agar medium. Visually identify colonies of various bacteria, (6) collect only colonies with the desired color using a platinum loop, (7) transfer them to a test tube or agar medium, and (8) culture them to see if they are promising. If it is a specific bacterium, it will be examined repeatedly through various tests, and (9) applied to medicine, brewing, and other biotechnology fields.

In the above process, the visual identification, collection, and transplantation of colonies of specific bacteria that appear promising are performed manually, which is tedious and inefficient work. Therefore, in order to eliminate these drawbacks, we have developed an operating device that can sequentially observe the culture medium using an X-Y stage, or an alternative to observing the culture medium directly with the naked eye or through a microscope. Therefore, automatic devices have been proposed and developed that process images using a color TV monitor and visually observe the color TV, thereby increasing the efficiency of the work and reducing fatigue. .

The automatic colony transfer device developed as this type of automatic device selects colonies of a predetermined color from a source culture medium in which various colonies are propagated in a mixed state, and automatically transfers colonies according to the selection. The cells are collected one after another and transferred to a culture medium on an object (culture) shear plate.

Generally, when transferring microorganisms or microbial cultures (eg, colonies), the transfer means, such as the transfer needle, must be sterilized after each transfer.
Reusing transfer means or transfer needles without disinfection may cause contamination and falsify culture test results.

The automatic transplanting apparatus described above uses several hundred to several thousand, and sometimes tens of thousands of sheets. Conventionally, colonies were transferred using a transfer means such as a platinum loop, and the platinum loop was sterilized with flame before the next transplant. However, flame sterilization every time a translocation operation is too time-consuming and troublesome. Additionally, the use of flame or open flame within the transplant device is extremely dangerous and should be strictly avoided.

As an alternative to flame disinfection, attempts were made to make the transfer needle disposable. Platinum is extremely expensive and cannot be disposable, whereas thin flexible metal wires such as iron wire or aluminum wire are relatively cheap and disposable. Iron or aluminum wire is cut to a predetermined length in advance, sterilized, and used as a transplant needle. After use, discard it and replace it with a new metal needle.

Alternatively, a predetermined length of metal wire can be unwound from a roll of several meters each time it is transplanted. After use, dispose of the part by breaking it off from the base. Then, a new predetermined length is rolled out from the roll and used. Repeat this operation every time you transplant.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When a metal wire such as an iron wire or an aluminum wire is cut, the cut surface becomes approximately horizontal as shown in FIG. When microorganisms or microbial cultures are attached to such a metal wire transfer needle with a horizontal tip and transferred to the medium surface in a shear dish, almost all of the inoculum is inoculated into the medium in one transfer. I end up. Therefore, if the same inoculum is inoculated onto the same medium surface multiple times, the inoculum must be attached to the tip of the transfer needle each time.

If the transfer needle were to be moved back and forth between the container containing the microorganism or microbial culture inoculum (e.g., a shell or test tube) and the cultured shell each time, the translocation process would be inconvenient. It takes too much time and becomes inefficient.

[Object of the Invention] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a transfer method that can inoculate a microorganism or a microbial culture multiple times at different locations on the surface of a culture medium after attaching an inoculum such as a microorganism or a microbial culture to the tip of a transfer needle. The purpose is to provide breeding needles.

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems and achieving the object of the invention, the present invention provides a method for attaching a microorganism or a culture of microorganisms to the tip of a transfer means. A transfer device for inoculating the microorganism or microbial culture by drilling a portion into the surface of the culture medium, wherein the transfer means has a tip portion formed into a pointed shape for attaching the microorganism or microbial culture. Provided is a microorganism or microorganism culture transfer device characterized in that the metal wire is a metal wire.

[Operation] As described above, in the device of the present invention, a metal wire having a pointed end is used as a transplant needle.

The reason is not clear, but if a microorganism or microbial culture is attached to the tip of a transfer needle and inoculated onto the culture medium surface, when the transfer needle is pulled out from the culture medium, a part of the inoculated microorganism or microbial culture will stick to the tip. It attaches to the body and comes back.

Therefore, when inoculating the same inoculum onto the same medium, it can be inoculated several times in succession simply by moving the inoculation site. The conventional time loss of returning the transfer needle to the source shear or test tube to re-attach the microorganism or microbial culture and then moving to the culture shear each time is eliminated. As a result, the overall time required for the translocation work is shortened, and throughput can be improved.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the apparatus of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial front view showing an embodiment of a metal wire transfer needle that can be used in the microorganism or microbial culture transfer device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the metal wire transfer needle attached to the transfer arm. FIG. 3 is a partial schematic diagram of the transplantation device having a feeding mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a partial front view of a conventional metal wire transplantation needle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer means that can be used in the device of the invention is a single-core metal wire transfer needle with a pointed tip. The specific shape of the tip is not particularly limited. However, if the tip is too long, there is a risk that sufficient inoculation will not occur if the culture medium is shallow. Therefore, it is preferable that the length of the tip be determined in consideration of the depth of the medium used.

The metal needle has a predetermined length (for example, approximately 2-5 mm).
It is preferable to use one cut into 1 cm, preferably about 3-4 cm. Specific methods and equipment for point milling are well known to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 2, a metal needle 10 is cut into a predetermined length in advance and has one end cut into a pointed shape.
are stored in the stocker 20 in a line with the pointed end 12 at the top. An opening 22 for discharging the metal needle 10 is provided at the lower end of the stocker 20. A pusher inlet 24 is provided at a position opposite to the opening 22.

The pusher 30 moves from the entrance 24 to the pusher 2
The metal needle 10 is gradually pushed out from the discharge opening 22 as the metal needle 10 enters the interior.

The metal needle 10 that has come out of the discharge opening 22 is in the guide groove 2.
6 to about half the depth, is further pushed out by the pusher 30, and comes out of the stocker.

In front of the guide groove 26 is a metal needle rotating upright mechanism 4.
0 is placed. When the pointed end 12 of the metal needle 10 is fitted into the mortar-shaped pocket 42 of the rotary upright mechanism 40, the rotary upright mechanism 40 rotates 90 degrees while holding the metal needle 10 to stand the metal needle 10 upright. The depth of the pocket 42 may be sufficient to hold the metal needle 10 in an upright position. Rotary drive source 4
For example, a motor or an air actuator can be used for 4.

Metal needle 10 erected by rotating upright mechanism 40
is held from both sides by the transfer needle holding mechanism 50,
transported to the translocation process. The transfer needle holding mechanism 50 is attached to a transfer arm 60 that can move forward and backward, left and right, and up and down. Transplantation needle clamping mechanism 50
In addition to mechanical clamping means as shown, means such as magnetic force or vacuum suction can also be used.

When the transplantation work is completed, the transplantation arm 60 moves to a predetermined used transplantation needle disposal section (not shown), where the transplantation needle clamping mechanism 50 opens in the left-right direction and removes the used metal needles that it was clamping. Throw away. After that, it moves again to the upper part of the rotating upright mechanism 40, holds the unused metal needle, and proceeds to the transplanting process. Repeat this operation until the entire translocation operation is completed.

The transfer arm 60 can hold the metal needle 10 vertically as shown, but it can also hold the metal needle 10 horizontally.

The transfer needle stocker is not only of the vertical type as shown in the figure, but also of the horizontal type.

Metal needles must be thoroughly sterilized before use. Sterilization can be done using ultraviolet light, autoclave or ethylene oxide gas. Ultraviolet germicidal lamps are preferred from the standpoint of ease of handling. Similarly, in order to prevent the tips of sterilized metal needles from being contaminated by airborne bacteria before transplantation, stockers,
It is also preferable to disinfect and sterilize the guide groove, rotating upright mechanism, etc.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the apparatus of the present invention, a metal wire having a pointed end is used as a transplant needle.

The reason is not clear, but if a microorganism or microbial culture is attached to the tip of a transfer needle and inoculated onto the culture medium surface, when the transfer needle is pulled out of the culture medium, a part of the inoculated microorganism or microbial culture will stick to the tip. It attaches to the body and comes back.

Therefore, when inoculating the same inoculum onto the same medium, it can be inoculated several times in succession simply by moving the inoculation site. Loss is eliminated when, as in the past, the transfer needle is returned to the source shear or test tube to attach the microorganism or microbial culture and then transferred to the culture shear each time. As a result, the overall time required for the translocation work is shortened, and throughput can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial front view showing an embodiment of a metal wire transfer needle that can be used in the microorganism or microbial culture transfer device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the metal wire transfer needle attached to the transfer arm. FIG. 3 is a partial schematic diagram of the transplantation device having a feeding mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a partial front view of a conventional metal wire transplantation needle. 10...Metal needle, 20...Stocker, 22...
... Discharge opening, 24 ... Entry port, 26 ... Guide groove, 30 ... Pusher, 40 ... Rotating upright mechanism, 42 ... Pocket, 44 ... Rotation drive source, 5
0... Transplant needle clamping mechanism, 60... Transplant arm.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A transfer device that attaches a microorganism or microbial culture to the tip of a transfer means and inoculates the microorganism or microbial culture by puncturing the tip into the medium surface, A microorganism or microorganism culture transfer device, wherein the transfer means is a metal wire having a pointed tip for attaching the microorganism or microbial culture. 2. The microorganism or microorganism culture transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the metal wire is a needle-shaped iron wire. 3. The microorganism or microorganism culture transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microorganism culture is a colony.