The following protist cultures are selected for their appeal in teaching protoctistology in schools, colleges and universities. Many species are particularly amenable for use in student research projects for studying feeding, reproduction, motility organelles, nuclear apparatus and encystment. Many of the protists have been isolated and cloned at Sciento and consequently we are pleased to offer advice on culture protocol for any of the organisms required.
Living Protozoa cultures concentrated in one drop dispensers:
- 30ml Standard Cultures (sufficient for up to 30 students)...£6.85 ea.
- 50ml Large Cultures (sufficient for up to 50 students)...£8.25 ea.
Sarcodines
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P21 Actinosphaerium eichornii
Large spherical, multinucleate helizoan with numerous radiating, contractile axopodia which ensnare smaller protist food prey. For culturing we recommend ordering ...
- P30 Actinophrys sol 'Sun animalcule' a smaller, prolific and uninucleate heliozoan which readily forms dormant cysts.
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P44 Amoeba proteus
A very large and vigorous strain which displays protoplasmic streaming (cyclosis), prey encapsulation and phagocytosis. An excellent textbook species for ...
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P52 Arcella vulgaris
A typical testate amoebae which secretes a brown tectinous shell (test) with a central aperture through which the lobopodia emerge ...
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P100 Nuclearia delicatula
An amoebae which feeds exclusively on blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria). Cultures contain amoebic cells in various stages of ingesting cyanobacterial filaments.
- P105 Raphidiophrys sp. A small centroheliozoon. Forms cysts.
Ciliates
- P120 Acineria incurvata Predatory ciliate which feeds on Rotifers (Philodina sp.). Forms resistant cysts
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P152 Blepharisma sp.
A remarkable pink coloured protist and probably the best example of all for showing typical ciliate morphology.The naturally stained pink ...
- P165 Bursaria truncatella A very large predator up to 1mm, which has a voracious appetite for other ciliates, engulfing food prey like a ...
- W167 Carchesium sp. Wild collected sample of colonial peritrichs.
- P169 Climacostomum virens A prodigious spirotrich with an awesome appetite for planktonic algae and phytoflagellates.
- P174 Coleps hirtus Gymnostome ciliate with ‘armoured’ pellicular plates.
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P177 Colpidium striatum
A small bactivorous ciliate and ideal food prey for Podophyra, Actinosphaerium, Amoeba, and other predatory protists.
- P180 Colpoda steinii Small bactivorous soil ciliate which encysts
- P187 Condylostoma (Linostomella) vorticella A planktonic ciliate which grazes on unicellular algae. Forms viable cysts.
- P195 Cyclidium sp. Tiny scuticociliate with long thigmotactic cilia.
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P220 Didinium nasutum
A voracious predator of Paramecium which it immobilises by discharging toxicysts which penetrate the pellicle. Dormant cysts are formed when ...
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P225 Dileptus anser
A large and unusual predatory haptorid which uses its long probing ‘trunk’ to capture smaller protists. The culture contains Colpidium ...
- W227 Epistylis sp. Wild collected sample of an epizoitic peritrich.
- P229 Euplotes daidaleos A small green hypotrich containing symbiotic zoochlorellae.
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P231 Euplotes patella
A very appealing example of a typical hypotrich that exemplifies the diversity of form amongst the ciliates. Their characteristic cirri ...
- P233 Euplotes sp. A Large hypotrich and common intertidal marine species.
- P242 Frontonia sp. An algivorous sp., which feeds on diatoms.
- P245 Frontonia vernalis Green coloured sp. containing zoochlorellae.
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P255 Halteria grandinella
Characteristic bactivorous ‘bouncing’ ciliate.
- P258 Holosticha sp. Large flexible hypotrich, feeds mainly on diatoms.
- P270 Lacrymaria olor An astonishing ‘swan-like’ ciliate with a mouth at the end of a flexible ‘neck’.The neck detects suitable protists to eat..The ...
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P285 Nassula sp.
Beautiful dark green ciliate which only eats filamentous ‘blue-green algae’, and after feasting forms golden cysts. Cultures arrive with adequate ...
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P295 Oxytricha sp.
Hypotrich with two macronuclei.
- P302 Paramecium aurelia Smaller species with one macro & two micronuclei.
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P305 Paramecium bursaria
An excellent example of a symbiotic relationship with an algae. The green colouration of the ciliate is imparted by the ...
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P320 Paramecium caudatum
The 'slipper animalcule' named after the resemblance of its pellicle to the shape of a slipper. Probably the most popular ...
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P335 Podophyra collini
An exemplary carnivorous suctorian for demonstrating the characteristic tentacular feeding mechanisms.The effectiveness of the tentacles for capturing and ingesting the ...
- P341 Spathidium sp. Predatory haptorid with peristomial trichites.
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P346 Spirostomum ambiguum
One of the largest ciliates, up to 4mm in length and preferring nearly anaerobic (polysaprobic) conditions where organic decay sustains ...
- P350 Spirostomum teres A recommended species much better and larger than Paramecium for showing ciliary membranelles, the clearer endoplasm reveals a central macronucleus ...
- P365 Stentor coeruleus The textbook 'Trumpet animalcule' a large bluish-green pigmented species with a visibly distinct lobular macronucleus. A prominent crown of membranelles ...
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P368 Stentor polymorphus
Beautiful 'green colouration' from symbiotic zoochlorellae.
- P370 Stentor roeseli Graceful and slender non-pigmented species with lorica.
- P376 Strombidium sp. Planktonic oligotrich which ingests bacteria and unicellular algae.
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P380 Stylonychia mytilus
A large and visibly interesting hypotrich, ideal for studying ciliary organelles, feeding and locomotion. Forms dormant viable cysts.
- P387 Tachysoma sp. Large onnivorous hypotrich with dorsal bristles.
- P391 Telotrochidium henneguyi Large free swimming stalkless peritrich..
- P395 Tetrahymena pyriformis Small hymenostome ciliate.
- P400 Tillina magna Curious bactivorous holotrich, forms cysts.
- P427 Urocentrum turbo Ciliated girdle and dorsal tail for rapid spinning motility.
- P431 Uroleptus longicauda Long algivorous hypotrich with 'tail'
- P434 Uronychia setigera Estuarine sp. with compounf cirri.
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P440 Vorticella similis
The 'Bell animalcule' a good example of a stalked peritrich, the mature stage (zooid) is attached to the substratum by ...
- P250 Glaucoma sp. Small vigorous,marine ciliate.
- P261 Keronopsis rubrum A fascinating, marine hypotrich, reddish-brown cells. Highly flexible and adheres strongly to the substrate
Flagellates
- P452 Anthophysa sp. Unusual stalked colonies of hetrotrophic biflagellated cells.
- P460 Astasia longa Colourless, heterotrophic euglenid lacking chloroplasts.
- P469 Bodo saltans Tiny bactivorous, phagotrophic flagellate.
- P475 Chilomonas paramecium A small colourless biflagellate which feeds saprozoically by absorbing dissolved organic nutrients through the cells periplast. Easily cultured and generally ...
- P486 Distigma proteus Highly contractile saprophytic species.
- P526 Euglena acus Recommended large sp. for easy observation.
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P530 Euglena gracilis
Typical green phytoflagellate for illustrating flagellate motility and photoautotrophic nutrition. The distinct eyespot (stigma) stimulates the cells phototactic response towards ...
- P540 Euglena spirogyra A larger species for showing 'textbook' euglenoid morphology.
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P555 Peranema trichophorum
A superb phagotrophic flagellate which shows a very distinct flagellum, even under low power optics. The species is colourless and ...
- P649 Phacus pleuronectes Heart-shaped euglenid with a rigid periplast.
- P657 Trachelomonas sp. Loricated euglenoid flagellate.