A highly efficient method for liquid and solid cultivation of the anaerobic hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga maritima.

An efficient and economical medium--Thermotoga maritima basal medium (TMB)--was designed for the cultivation of T. maritima under either liquid or solid conditions. When the broth was flushed with N2 or CO2 throughout cell growth in a 10-L fermentor (pH controlled to 6.5), the maximum cell density (OD600) on TMB containing 1% glucose rose to 2.0 or higher (1.63 x 10(9) cells mL(-1)). Sheath-less cells observed by electron microscopy were captured during growth in the fermentor. Using a two-layer plating method, isolated single-well colonies were consistently obtained within 24 h on the TMB in modified tissue culture flasks. The minimal inhibitory chloramphenicol concentrations for T. maritima on TMB agar were 5 microg mL(-1) after 24 h and 48 h, and 25 microg mL(-1) at 72 h.