Because they are free-living and autotrophic, both C-Fern
gametophytes and sporophytes can be axenically cultured on simple inorganic
media in petri dishes. Easy and foolproof culture techniques allow both
gametophytes and sporophytes to be conveniently cultured and manipulated
with minimal training and equipment. These procedures comprise a valuable
introduction to general sterile technique that can then be applied to
more demanding plant or animal cell culture.
C-Fern
Culture Media
C-Fern
Basic Culture Media can be obtained pre-made or readily prepared using
the commercially available powdered form or made from scratch using
self-made stock solutions. Premade media needs only to be melted in
a boiling water bath while powdered media or that prepared from scratch
requires autoclaving for sterilization. Once medium is prepared, it
is dispensed into sterile petri dishes. Because the media does not contain
a carbohydrate source, such as sucrose, the likelihood of contamination
is greatly reduced and only simple precautions are needed to insure
clean cultures.
Inoculating
C-Fern Cultures
Inoculating cultures with C-Fern spores is easy! C-Fern
spores are available pre-sterilized in pre-measured units and cultures
can be inoculated by simply adding sterile water and dispensing the
spore suspension onto the surface of the nutrient medium. For large
scale experiments or large courses, bulk amounts of spores are also
available. Bulk spores come unsterilized, but can be surface sterilized
as needed with a simple and rapid procedure.Once inoculated, cultures
of C-Fern cultures are ready to go under lights to initiate growth
and development. They require little maintenance. Petri dishes are placed
in a Culture Dome (a plastic tray with a clear cover) or C-Fern
Growth Pod and placed under continuous illumination by a simple
fluorescent lighting fixture. Growth Pods and Culture Domes also make
handling a number of cultures easier, reduce the possibility of contamination
and buffer against changes in room temperature and humidity. By maintaining
cultures within closed Growth Pods or Culture Domes, distance from the
lighting fixture can be adjusted to approach an optimum temperature
within the Growth Pod or Culture Dome of about 28 C.
