[Influence of various factors in polyacrylamide gel immobilization on the viability of Escherichia coli B cells]

Abstract

The entrapment of an E. coli cell population into polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) is associated with a drastic decline of its viability. The effect of immobilization factors (the reagents used for PAAG preparation, their mixtures and the elevated temperature) upon the viability of the E. coli cell population was investigated by the method of microcultural analysis. It was found that all the components of the polymerization mixture, except for acrylamide, as well as the washed-off granules of polymerized del did not appreciably influence that viability of the cell population. Acrylamide at a concentration of 10% appeared very toxic. The decrease of its concentration to 5% and of the initial temperature of the polymerization mixture markedly lowered the toxic effect and, consequently, increased the viability of the population of immobilized E. coli cells.