Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1977 May;33(5):1225–1228. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.5.1225-1228.1977

Use of nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy.

J E Hobbie, R J Daley, S Jasper
PMCID: PMC170856  PMID: 327932

Abstract

Polycarbonate Nuclepore filters are better than cellulose filters for the direct counting of bacteria because they have uniform pore size and a flat surface that retains all of the bacteria on top of the filter. Although cellulose filters also retain all of the bacteria, many are trapped inside the filter where they cannot be counted. Before use, the Nuclepore filters must be dyed with irgalan black to eliminate autofluorescence. Direct counts of bacteria in lake and ocean waters are twice as high with Nuclepore filters as with cellulose filters.

Full text

PDF
1225

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barr J. G. Changes in the extracellular accumulation of antibiotics during growth and sporulation of Bacillus subtilis in liquid culture. J Appl Bacteriol. 1975 Aug;39(1):1–13. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1975.tb00539.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bowden W. B. Comparison of two direct-count techniques for enumerating aquatic bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 May;33(5):1229–1232. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.5.1229-1232.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Francisco D. E., Mah R. A., Rabin A. C. Acridine orange-epifluorescence technique for counting bacteria in natural waters. Trans Am Microsc Soc. 1973 Jul;92(3):416–421. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Rigler R., Jr Microfluorometric characterization of intracellular nucleic acids and nucleoproteins by acridine orange. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl. 1966;267:1–122. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Todd R. L., Kerr T. J. Scanning electron microscopy of microbial cells on membrane filters. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Jun;23(6):1160–1162. doi: 10.1128/am.23.6.1160-1162.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Watson S. W., Novitsky T. J., Quinby H. L., Valois F. W. Determination of bacterial number and biomass in the marine environment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Apr;33(4):940–946. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.4.940-946.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Yamabe S. Further fluorospectrophotometric studies on the binding of acridine orange with DNA. Effects of thermal denaturation of DNA and additions of spermine, kanamycin, dihydrostreptomycin, methylene blue and chlorpromazine. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1973 Jan;154(1):19–27. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(73)90030-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES