Authors
Daniel J Richter, Ivan Čepička, Javier Del Campo, Stefan Geisen, Vladimír Hampl, Anna Karnkowska, Enrique Lara, Julius Lukeš, Kasia Piwosz, Ian Probert, Cecilia Rad-Menéndez, Alastair G B Simpson
Published in
The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology. Volume 73. Issue 6.
Abstract
Protists represent the majority of eukaryotic diversity and play essential roles in ecosystems worldwide. Obtaining protist species in culture permits in-depth studies that provide insights into their cell biology, physiology, and biochemistry, and can transform them into valuable laboratory models representing lineages beyond plants, fungi, and animals. Despite a long history of protist cultivation, the vast majority of protists remain uncultured. This practical guide provides a thorough reference for current knowledge on protist cultivation. It includes information on approaches for initial isolation, selection of growth vessels and storage conditions, optimization of culture media, and adaptation of cultivation strategies to the known or hypothesized trophic modes of target species. We also discuss the importance of associated organisms, including prey, symbionts, and microbiomes, in successful cultivation. In addition, we summarize current approaches to long-term maintenance and cryopreservation, which remain technically challenging but offer substantial practical benefits. Finally, we highlight emerging technologies and methodological innovations that could drive major advances in future protist cultivation efforts. We anticipate that a renewed focus on protist cultivation will accelerate the discovery and experimental study of diverse protist lineages, expanding their use as model systems and deepening our understanding of eukaryotic diversity and evolution.
PMID:
43031395
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Nov 2026.
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