After centrifuging the broth culture and filtering the supernatant through a 0.22 µm syringe filter, should the resulting filtrate be termed a cell-free supernatant (CFS) or extracellular organic matter (EOM)?
what is the difference between cell-free supernatant and extracellular organic matter?
CFS vs. EOM
- Cell-Free Supernatant (CFS): The liquid obtained after centrifuging and filtering a microbial culture. It contains all substances outside the cells, including organic and inorganic compounds. It is defined by the method of preparation.
- Extracellular Organic Matter (EOM): Refers specifically to organic substances secreted or released by microbes into the surrounding environment (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, organic acids). It does not include inorganic components.
- Main difference: CFS = Method-based term (all extracellular content after removing cells) EOM = Content-based term (only extracellular organic matter)
✅ In your experiment (centrifuge + 0.22 µm filter), the correct term is CFS. If you later isolate only the organic portion, then it becomes EOM.
@ Sanhita, it is cell free supernatant because the liquid obtained after removing cells from the culture. Actually, extracellular organic matter means the organic components released by cells into the environment. In the true sense the cell free extract contains all substances outside the cells including organic and inorganic compounds, while extracellular organic matter focuses only on the organic molecules produced by cells.
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