I have isolated a Gram-positive, aerobic bacterium from soil that exhibits promising probiotic and plant growth-promoting properties. I would like to evaluate its potential for pesticide degradation. What should be the composition of the Minimal Salt Medium (MSM) to assess the degradation capability of this bacterium?
MAM medium (Minimal A Salt Medium or Minimal Agar Medium) is a nutrient-limited culture medium used for isolating and studying bacteria capable of degrading pesticides and other xenobiotics (foreign chemical substances). It provides minimal nutrients, forcing microorganisms to use the pesticide as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus, which helps in identifying efficient biodegrading bacteria.
- Na₂HPO₄ (anhydrous) – 2.5 g
- KH₂PO₄ – 1.5 g
- NH₄Cl – 1.0 g (omit if you want the pesticide to be the sole N source)
- MgSO₄·7H₂O – 0.20 g
- CaCl₂·2H₂O – 0.02 g
- FeSO₄·7H₂O – 0.005 g (5 mg) + Na₂EDTA – 0.010 g (pre-mix to reduce iron precipitation)
- Trace elements (SL-10 or similar) – 1 mL/L (optional but helpful) Example SL-10 (stock): FeCl₃·6H₂O 1.5 g/L; ZnCl₂ 70 mg/L; MnCl₂·4H₂O 100 mg/L; H₃BO₃ 6 mg/L; CoCl₂·6H₂O 190 mg/L; CuCl₂·2H₂O 2 mg/L; NiCl₂·6H₂O 24 mg/L; Na₂MoO₄·2H₂O 36 mg/L. Use 1 mL of this stock per liter of MSM.
- Vitamins (optional) – 1 mL/L of a standard vitamin mix (e.g., biotin, thiamine, B₁₂ at µg/mL levels)
pH: Adjust to 7.0–7.2 before sterilization. Agar plates: add 15 g/L agar.
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