Chemically Defined Culture Medium for Microbial Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional peptone-based media for culturing microorganisms are plagued by batch-to-batch variations, nutritional imbalances, and precipitation issues, making it difficult to support the growth of a broad range of prokaryotes, yeasts, and fungi, especially fastidious species, which often require additional supplements for optimal growth.
Innovation Solution
A chemically defined cell culture medium comprising glutamine, cysteine and/or cystine, adenine, guanine, aminobenzoic acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and an iron(III) salt, which provides a balanced biochemical foundation for the growth of diverse microorganisms, including fastidious species, and includes optional components like saccharides, amino acids, vitamins, salts, and chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If peptone-based media are used to support broad microbial growth, then nutritional balance is improved, but batch-to-batch variation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the medium composition by replacing peptone-based complex ingredients with precisely defined chemical compounds. The medium contains specific concentrations of amino acids (0.01-10 g/L glutamine, 0.01-3 g/L cysteine/cystine), nucleobases (0.1-300 mg/L adenine, 0.01-100 mg/L guanine), vitamins (0.01-10 g/L aminobenzoic acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), and iron(III) salts (0.01-100 mg/L), eliminating batch variation inherent in peptone manufacturing while maintaining nutritional balance for diverse microorganisms.
2Productivity
If peptone-based media are used for microbial cultivation, then growth support is improved, but precipitation issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters from complex peptone mixtures to individually defined stable compounds. Each component (amino acids, nucleobases, vitamins, iron salts) is chemically stable and soluble at specified concentrations, preventing precipitation while maintaining growth support. The medium remains optically clear throughout incubation, enabling visual detection of microbial growth without interference from precipitates.
3Reliability
If chemically defined media are used to reduce batch variation, then reliability is improved, but nutritional balance for fastidious species deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal chemically defined medium that simultaneously supports diverse microorganisms including fastidious species through multi-functional nutrient components. The inclusion of all 20 amino acids (with glutamine at 0.01-10 g/L and cysteine/cystine at 0.01-3 g/L), complete nucleobase supplementation (adenine 0.1-300 mg/L, guanine 0.01-100 mg/L), essential vitamins (aminobenzoic acid 0.01-10 g/L, NAD), and iron(III) salts provides comprehensive nutritional coverage that eliminates the need for organism-specific media formulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple chemically defined components into a composite medium formulation that achieves synergistic nutritional balance. The medium integrates amino acids, nucleobases, vitamins, and mineral salts in specific concentration ranges that collectively provide complete nutrition for fastidious microorganisms, demonstrating that chemically defined composite media can match or exceed the performance of complex peptone-based media while maintaining batch consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to chemically defined culture medium comprising at least glutamine, cysteine and/or cystine, adenine, guanine, aminobenzoic acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and an iron salt for the rapid detection of a broad range of microorganisms comprising prokaryotes and eukaryotes.