Viability of lyophilized cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).

Lyophilizatin of 13 cyanobacterial cultures belonging to seven genera was attempted in a variety of suspending substances. All organisms survived lyophilization when suspended in lamb serum. Some of the organisms could be successfully lyophilized in horse serum, beef serum, fetal bovine serum, or human ascites fluid. With the exception of Nostoc muscorium, none of the organisms survived lyophilization in skim milk medium, egg albumin medium, or Jansen salts medium.