A compact semi-automated continuous cultivation system for Plasmodium falciparum.

A compact inexpensive semi-automated continuous cultivation system for Plasmodium falciparum is described. The system is simple to operate and allows cultures to proceed unattended for several days. A particularly useful feature is a portable cultivation module that is freely transferable from the incubator to a tissue culture cabinet for manual operations such as sampling or addition of red cells. Each cultivation module holds plastic flasks which can give a combined culture surface area of up to 500 cm2. Parasitaemias of 12% are attained routinely at red cell densities of 1 to 7 x 10(8) per ml, if the medium is changed daily.