The Protistology Collection at ATCC: Scientific Relevance and Best Practices

The ATCC Protistology Collection is the only general service collection of taxonomically diverse living stock protists in the United States, and the only large-service repository of parasitic protozoa in the world. Our extensive portfolio of protozoa and algae benefit from the combined years of experience of many researchers, collection scientists, and biologists since the company’s inception nearly a century ago. This has allowed the Protistology Department to accrue a vast wealth of knowledge about this clinically and financially relevant collection. In this webinar, we will explore the role of protists in the scientific and general communities, and we will detail the initiation, expansion, cryopreservation, and authentication of these diverse organisms.

Key Points

• What defines a protist, and why these organisms are relevant not only to scientists but also to the general community.
• An in-depth look at some of the best practices for propagating, preserving, and authenticating protists.
• An examination of the special techniques that have been adapted at ATCC for the evaluation and cultivation of difficult-to-grow protists.