Bioprospecting Actinobacteria communities in semi-desert soils from Kidepo National Park, Uganda
The strains were isolated from the surface and sub-surface soil samples collected from the semi-desert Kidepo Valley National Park, Karamoja Region Uganda. Briefly, when transferred to the UK the samples are stored at 4 degrees Celsius. The strains were isolated using the selective isolation procedure; aliquots (100 microliters) of the 10^(-1/2) and 10^(-1) dilutions of the soil in quarter strength Ringer's solution were spread over the surface of starch-casein agar (SCA) plates, supplemented with sterile nalidixic acid (25 micrograms/milliliter) and nystatin (50 micrograms/milliliter). Four plates were prepared per dilution, incubated at 28 degrees Celsius for 2-3 weeks, and examined for characteristic actinobacterial colonies. The isolates were maintained on M65 (DSMZ medium) agar plates and as mixtures of hyphal fragments and spores in 20 percent v/v glycerol at minus 80 degrees Celsius.