Standardised evaluation of the performance of a simple membrane filtration-elution method to concentrate bacteriophages from drinking water.
The bacteriophage elution procedure described further after adsorption to acetate-nitrate cellulose membrane filters allows better recovery of phages concentrated from 1l of water than elution procedures used previously. The improvement is due to the combined effect of the eluent (3% (w/v) beef extract, 3% (v/v) Tween 80, 0.5M NaCl, pH 9.0) and the application of ultrasound instead of agitation or swirling. Average recovery of somatic coliphages, 82 +/- 7%, was the greatest, and that of phages infecting Bacteroides fragilis, 56 +/- 8%, the lowest, with intermediate values for F-specific and F-specific RNA bacteriophages. Thus, the method allowed recovery of over 56% for all the phages suggested as surrogate indicators. The method was then validated according to an International Standardisation Organisation validation standard procedure and implemented in routine laboratories, which obtained reproducible results.
Méndez
Javier
J
Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Audicana
Ana
A
Isern
Ana
A
Llaneza
Julián
J
Moreno
Belén
B
Tarancón
María Luisa
ML
Jofre
Juan
J
Lucena
Francisco
F
D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003090:Coliphages / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D012996:Solutions; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D012996:Solutions