| Abstract: | A method for cell immobilization of living flagellated/ciliated cells in agarose has been developed that allows single cells to be viewed for prolonged periods of time using high resolution light microscopy. Embedding in ultralow gelling, soft agarose preserves cellular functions of various flagellated/ciliated protists including delicate species, marine dinoflagellates, cryptomonads, contractile ciliates, etc. for days. Cell division, morphogenesis of cell organelles and intracellular movements can thus be studied for the first time in great detail. The method may also be useful for the isolation of flagellated/ciliated protists from nature and for the establishment of axenic clonal cultures in a single step. |
