A Practical Guide to the Use of Cellular Slime Molds for laboratory Exercises and Experiments

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 1993, Volume 14

Abstract

The cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum, is particularly well suited for laboratory instruction in a variety of areas, including cellular biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, and population biology, and for a range of educational levels, such as introductory courses, upper- division courses, and independent student research projects. This chapter presents methods to: (a) prepare and maintain stock cultures of D. discoideum, (b) grow and harvest cells for experiments, and (c) set up several experiments. Experiments examine several questions, including triggers for asexual versus sexual development, food preferences for D. discoideum, pattern formation, phototaxis, and chemotaxis.

Keywords:  culture maintenance, Dictyostelium discoideum, Klebsiella, fruiting body, amoeba, slug, macrocyst

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1992)