How long do protozoa or algae cultures last?
They are generally in best condition the day you receive them. You should time your lab to use them as soon as possible after you receive them. However, many cultures can last for several days, or even weeks, if kept properly. After that, the microorganisms will run out of the food that was included in their shipping container. If you choose to keep the cultures going, you will need to subculture them into fresh growth media. Nasco offers growth media: SB07568(LM)M Paramecium medium, SB07564(LM)M Amoeba medium, and SB07566(LM)M Euglena medium. These are only growth media. They do not contain live organisms, just necessary nutrients for them. You would need to inoculate them with live cultures to make more organisms.
