Mycoplasma Culture Medium with Selective Antibiotics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current culture media are inadequate for efficiently cultivating and identifying species of the Mycoplasma genus, particularly those that are difficult to cultivate such as Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma penetrans, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma pirum, and Mycoplasma hyorhinis, due to their complex nutritional requirements and slow growth rates, which limits their isolation and identification in clinical settings.

Innovation Solution

A culture medium comprising hydrolysate of bovine blood, enzymatic hydrolysates of animal tissues, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae autolysate, which provides essential nutrients for rapid growth and differentiation of Mycoplasma species, allowing for quicker isolation and identification within 1-4 days without the need for specialized personnel to observe morphological features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional culture media are used for Mycoplasma cultivation, then the media can support basic growth, but the growth rate is slow and isolation takes two weeks or more

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrowth rateVSAvoidisolation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The culture medium composition is fundamentally changed by adding specific components (hydrolysate of animal blood, enzymatic hydrolysate of animal tissue, autolysate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and antibiotics) to transform the growth conditions from traditional slow growth to rapid growth within 1-4 days

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The culture medium uses a composite formulation combining multiple hydrolysates and autolysates from different sources (animal blood, animal tissue, yeast) to provide comprehensive nutrients that accelerate Mycoplasma growth while suppressing contaminants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If complex and enriched culture media are used to meet nutritional requirements, then Mycoplasma growth is supported, but the media allow growth of concurrent organisms that complicate identification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidconcurrent organism growth

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The medium converts the potential harm of concurrent organism growth into a benefit by using selective antibiotics (penicillin, streptomycin, vancomycin, nystatin) that suppress contaminants while allowing Mycoplasma to grow, thereby improving identification reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The culture medium provides localized selective pressure through different antibiotics targeting different types of contaminants, creating a selective environment that favors Mycoplasma growth while inhibiting other organisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If morphological observation is used for Mycoplasma identification, then identification can be performed, but specialized personnel and extended observation periods are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification simplicityVSAvoidobservation requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The culture medium incorporates phenol red as a pH indicator that changes color based on Mycoplasma metabolic activity, providing a simple visual identification method that does not require specialized personnel or equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The culture medium enables rapid and abundant growth of Mycoplasma species, facilitating quicker isolation and identification, while inhibiting concurrent organisms, and does not contain toxic substances or environmental contaminants, thus improving diagnostic efficiency and reducing the complexity of microbiological characterization.

Implementation Method 1

hydrolysate of bovine blood, enzymatic hydrolysates of animal tissues

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 2

Saccharomyces cerevisiae autolysate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAutolysis: Decomposition (biological)

Data Source

PatentUS10920188B2Culture medium for the isolation of clinical samples of species such as mycoplasma including those which are not culturable in traditional media

Publication Date: 2021.02.16 C P M DI CLAUDIO PIERMATTEI E C SAS

AI summary

The present invention relates to a culture medium specific for microorganisms of Mycoplasma genus and, in particular, for species of hardly cultivable Mycoplasma (Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma penetrans, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma pirium and/or Mycoplasma hyorhinis). The present invention also provides an in vitro method for the growth and/or isolation and/or identification of species belonging to the Mycoplasma genus as well as growth supports using such culture medium.