Compartmentalization method for screening microorganisms
US6001586A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 29, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC12Q1/20
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method is provided for screening microorganisms having a selectable characteristic comprising: (a) providing a growth chamber capable of forming a plurality of discrete compartments, said compartments comprising a barrier which inhibits the diffusion of metabolites or nutrients between said compartments within said growth chamber; (b) preparing a growth medium which, by its lack of or addition of one or more metabolites or nutrients, preferentially facilitates growth of microorganisms exhibiting said selectable characteristic from microorganisms which do not exhibit said selectable characteristic; (c) inoculating said growth medium with a plurality of microorganisms, a portion of which comprise said selectable characteristic; (d) placing said inoculated growth medium into said growth chamber so as to randomly disperse said microorganisms among discrete compartments in said growth chamber; and (e) incubating said growth chamber for a suitable time and under suitable conditions to obtain a detectable disparity of growth between microorganisms having said selectable characteristic and microorganisms lacking said selectable characteristic.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.