Chlorophylltype

Photo reagent to make photograpy or prints

Simple technique, using blended grass and water, filtered and application on material and finally exposure to UV light.

Pigment-Producing Bacteria

Purple/Violet

Chromobacterium violaceum - Produces violacein, a purple pigment

Red

Serratia marcescens - Produces prodigiosin, a red pigment

Yellow/Orange

Flavobacterium spp. - Produces carotenoid pigments
Paracoccus spp. - Produces carotenoid pigments

Blue-Green

Pseudomonas aeruginosa - Produces pyocyanin, a blue-green pigment

Materials Needed

For Bacterial Culture

Petri dishes or culture tubes
Agar or broth media (e.g. nutrient agar, tryptic soy agar)
Inoculating loop or sterile swabs
Incubator set to 25-30°C

For Pigment Extraction

Solvents (e.g. methanol, ethanol, acetone)
Centrifuge
Separatory funnels or tubes
Filter paper or membrane filters

Getting Started

Obtain bacterial cultures from a culture collection or by isolating from environmental samples.
Prepare culture media according to instructions. Pour into Petri dishes and allow to solidify.
Inoculate the agar plates by streaking a small amount of bacterial culture onto the surface using an inoculating loop. Incubate at 25-30°C until pigmented colonies appear (2-5 days).
To extract pigments, scrape off pigmented colonies and suspend in a small amount of solvent. Vortex or sonicate to break up cells.
Centrifuge the mixture to pellet cell debris. The pigment will be in the supernatant.
Filter the supernatant through filter paper or membrane filters to remove any remaining particles.
Concentrate the pigment by evaporating the solvent or using a separatory funnel to isolate the pigment layer.
Analyze the extracted pigment for color, purity, and yield. Further purification may be needed for some applications.

With some basic microbiology equipment and techniques, you can start experimenting with pigment production from bacteria. Adjust culture conditions like media composition, temperature, and light exposure to optimize pigment yields. Have fun exploring the colorful world of bacterial pigments!

Isolating Bacteria from Environmental Samples

Soil: Pigmented bacteria like Streptomyces can often be isolated from soil samples by dilution plating on agar media
.
Water: Pigmented aquatic bacteria such as Chromobacterium and Pseudoalteromonas can be isolated from water sources
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Insects: Some pigmented bacteria like Serratia are found in insects and can be isolated from their gut or body surface

Tenebrionidae for bacteria cultivation

The following insects from the family Tenebrionidae (commonly known as darkling beetles) have been associated with the bacteria you are interested in, particularly Chromobacterium violaceum and Chromobacterium subtsugae:

Tenebrio molitor (Mealworm Beetle)
- This species is often used in studies involving Chromobacterium due to its availability and ease of culture.
Zophobas morio (Superworm)
- Similar to the mealworm, superworms are also used in research and can harbor various bacteria, including C. violaceum.
Alphitobius diaperinus (Lesser Mealworm)
- This species is commonly found in poultry houses and can also be a host for Chromobacterium.

Obtaining the Bacteria from Insects

To isolate Chromobacterium from these insects, you can follow these steps:

Collect Insects: Obtain live specimens of the desired Tenebrionidae species from pet stores or online suppliers.
Prepare Culture Media: Use nutrient agar or other suitable media for bacterial growth.
Inoculation:
- Surface sterilize the insects by rinsing them in 70% ethanol or bleach solution (followed by rinsing with sterile water).
- Homogenize the insect tissue in a sterile environment using a mortar and pestle or a blender.
- Transfer the homogenate onto the agar plates and spread it evenly.
Incubation: Incubate the plates at 25-30°C for 24-48 hours to allow bacterial colonies to grow.
Identify Bacterial Colonies: Look for colonies that exhibit the characteristic purple pigmentation of C. violaceum or C. subtsugae. Further identification can be done through biochemical tests or genetic sequencing.

This method allows you to isolate and study the pigment-producing bacteria associated with Tenebrionidae insects.

Papers

Bacterial pigments: A colorful palette reservoir for biotechnological applications