ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

5.1.4
CONCLUSIONS1 MTHODS To BE USM) IN ME INVESTIGATION
rrom the results of the initial experiments the methods selected
for investigating the microbial ecology of the next systems weres
direct isolation (i) onto SF ciedium to isolatetho General
range of fungi present.
I
(it) onto selectivo modLum to isolato,
TermltMErces.
This involved using a sterile Innoculating needle to place sm. 11
pieces of foodstore, fungus comb or whole mycot'oten onto agar plates*
(2) the dilution plate technique,, using both media an above*
The importance of standardizing thin method has been frequently
e=phasized (Jensen 1968) 9 and the some procedures were used throughout.
The fcmdatore, funguis comb and nest structure were collected In sterile
containers* The materials were plated out oti the day of collection to
avoid problems arising from atomCe, This created a limit to the
number of plates that could be prepared In any one experiments
Approximately Ia of material, weighed accuratelys was Placed in
loo ul of sterile water In a 250 ml flask* In the case of fungus comb
and nest structure the material was first broken up Into small
fragments. The suspension was prepared by stirring with a magnetic
stirrer for 30 minutest and the successive dilutions prepared by
pipetting I yal aliquota Into 9 ml of sterile water* Standard
pipetting technique: s were used throughout& Prior to pipetting the
solutims were shaken by h=d* 0*1 ml aliquotb of the required
dilutions were plpottOd onto each plate and spread over the plate
surfaco with a flAmed glass spreadere The plates were incubated at
28-30)C and the fungi developing counted after 2 days, and again after
181.