HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Powell, H. M. Articles by Jones, F. G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Powell, H. M. Articles by Jones, F. G.

Merthiolate As a Preservative for Biological Products

III. Action of Merthiolate on Bacteriophage

Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana

Abstract

Introduction. It is common knowledge that bacteriophage is somewhat more resistant to heat and the usual antiseptics than the homologous bacteria on which the bacteriophage is produced. Also, just as bacteria may vary among themselves in resistance to heat and chemicals, different bacteriophages may be found to vary in the same way. Furthermore, the same strains, either of bacteria or bacteriophage, may show considerable variation in these properties in different subcultures during laboratory propagation.

In a recent comprehensive study, using "raw" and "purified" bacteriophage, Kligler and Olitzki (1) found that the resistance of bacteriophage to antiseptics and heat depends to some extent on the associated proteins and other factors which may be present in different bacterial culture media. Adsorbed and eluted ("purified") bacteriophage was markedly more labile than bacteriophage as it exists just after production in broth culture media. This paper is referred to simply as an example of conditions sometimes ignored.