Lyophilization is a technique in microbiology for the preservation and storage of microbial cultures, enzymes, vaccines, and other biological materials. In microbiological applications, lyophilization involves freezing the microbial culture at ultra-low temperatures, followed by the removal of water through sublimation under vacuum conditions. This process prevents the damaging effects of ice crystal formation and ensures the long-term viability and stability of microbial samples.
Microorganisms are particularly sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and moisture, which can affect their viability and functionality. Lyophilization mitigates these risks by stabilizing microbial cultures in a dried state, thereby preventing cellular damage and metabolic activity during storage. This preservation method allows microbiologists to maintain a diverse collection of microorganisms for research, industrial processes, and medical applications.
Lyophilization is instrumental in microbiological research for the distribution and exchange of microbial cultures among scientific communities. By lyophilizing microbial strains, researchers can create durable and transportable samples that retain their viability and genetic characteristics over time. This facilitates collaboration, reproducibility, and standardization in microbiological studies, enabling advancements in fields such as biotechnology, environmental microbiology, and microbial ecology.
Catachem offers lyophilization services to preserve delicate substances like biologics, nucleic acids, enzymes, proteins, calibrators and controls.