To isolate microorganisms, colonies were streaked out following microscopy screening on half-strength nutrient agar. Isolated single pure colonies were picked for further characterization and long-term storage. Each slide was viewed under the microscope using 1000x magnification and observations were recorded. Each pure colony was inoculated in 5 ml of nutrient broth and incubated at room temperature overnight. The picture on the left is an example of streaking, a technique used to obtain single colonies.
Single colonies originate presumably from single cells.
Gram staining is one method by which an isolate can be characterized. This feature is based on the structure and chemistry of the cell wall. We were able to show that a large number of microorganisms present in contaminated soils can be isolated and characterized using a variety of media and isolation techniques. The isolated microorganisms have been preserved and maintained as a valuable source of biodiversity. In the future, they will be further characterized and used in bioremediation processes.