Long-term, low-maintenance storage of Acanthamoeba strains.

A simple, low cost method is described for the long-term storage of the potential human pathogen Acanthamoeba. Amoebae are placed in dried, sterile clay pellets within which they form cysts that remain viable and pure for at least 5 years. This method compares favorably with other storage methods and requires no specialist equipment. We have demonstrated that amoeba stored by this method retain both their pathogenic potential and their small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence type.