UNIT 10C.1 Laboratory Maintenance of Mycobacterium smegmatis

This unit gives background information on Mycobacterium smegmatis, a mycobacterial model system, and covers all the laboratory maintenance for this species including growth in liquid and on solid medium. It also contains recommendations concerning long-term strain storage. Although M. smegmatis is a Biosafety Level 1 organism, some rare infections in humans have been reported, and, thus all of the required safety measures are discussed here. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 14:10C.1.1-10C.1.12. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: medium; Middlebrook; 7H9; Sauton; LB Miller; strain storage