Microcalorimetric growth evaluation of Candida albicans in different conditions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the growth pattern of a lyophilized Candida albicans strain using microcalorimetry. Microcalorimetry is a method that can record the thermal flow released by the basal metabolism of a microorganism. Using a dedicated data acquisition and processing software, the method can provide a growth curve, which is specific to every microorganism. We have obtained the growth pattern of Candida albicans in different conditions with the objective of determining various growth “fingerprints” that we can afterwards use within a diagnostic method. Experiments where undertaken at five different temperatures 26°C, 30°C, 34°C, 37°C and 40°C and at different suspension volumes in the microcalorimetric cell: 200 μl, 400 μl, 600 μl, 800 μl. Our experiments provided real-time, reproducible information about fungal growth, with expected differences due to the various changes in growth conditions.