Improved growth of Thermus aquaticus on cellular lysates.

Studies on the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus have demonstrated the ability of this organism to exist on its own cell lysates. The use of 0.1% tryptone, and 0.1% yeast extract and a mineral salts lysate medium increased growth 9-to 44-fold over the above medium without cell lysates. It has also been established in this study that, due to the high growth temperature of T. aquaticus, its metabolic activities are greatly accelerated resulting in early cell destruction. Therefore, bacterial lysates from which other cells could derive nutrients and/or growth factors would constantly be available in the environment immediately around the organism to aid the growth of cells in natural as well as man-made thermal environments.