Isolation of pure cultures is a fundamental technique in microbiology, and has been employed for centuries in laboratories across the globe. Several commonly used methods have contributed to the successful isolation of microbial species to date. Microorganisms are present in all types of environments with various chemical and physical requirements, but only a very tiny portion of them has been isolated as pure culture, and the vast majority have yet to be isolated and characterized. Microbial pure cultures are crucial for obtaining a full understanding of their biochemical and biophysical attributes. Future development of new techniques for isolating pure microbial cultures is required, which is an essential step for achieving further advancement of microbiological research and applications.
Author(s): Kesen Ma, Sarah D. Kim