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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

culture technique, Mycobacterium ulcerans, pathogenic bacterium

College

Life Sciences

Department

Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Abstract

Mycobacterium ulcerans is a pathogenic bacterium and is the causative agent of Buruli Ulcer, a common mycobacterial disease similar to tuberculosis and leprosy. Buruli Ulcer is endemic to Western Africa and produces a deforming and sometimes lethal skin disease. One major obstacle for research is the slow growth of the bacterium in batch culture. M. ulcerans currently grows in vitro with a doubling time of about 4.8 days, resulting in an average culture time of 8-10 weeks before the appearance of colonies. This evidence makes it difficult to study M. ulcerans in the laboratory. The goal of my research was to improve the media and conditions used to culture M. ulcerans bacterium to perhaps shorten the doubling times. My research partner and I believed that upon identifying the proper conditions we could cut the average culture time to about 5 weeks, which is similar to the growth rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (a close relative). Obtaining a faster growth rate for this pathogen would double the research progress on M. ulcerans in laboratories worldwide.

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