# A bacterial food source for effective laboratory cultivation of the freshwater nematode Plectus sambesii

## TL;DR

A new bacterial food source improves the lab cultivation of a freshwater nematode with unique traits.

## Contribution

A novel bacterial food source, Pseudomonas putida AAC02, enables better lab cultivation of Plectus sambesii.

## Key findings

- Pseudomonas putida AAC02 supports effective cultivation of Plectus sambesii in the lab.
- A freezing protocol allows long-term storage of Plectus sambesii and other emerging model species.

## Abstract

The successful establishment of a new satellite animal model system depends in no small part on the ability to effectively cultivate such animals at scale in the laboratory. We describe here the discovery of a bacterial food source,

Pseudomonas putida

AAC02
,
that improves laboratory cultivation of the parthenogenetic freshwater nematode
Plectus sambesii,
characterized by an embryonic patterning program, morphological features and environmental adaptations notably distinct from other presently well-established nematode model systems. We also describe the application of a freezing protocol for long-term storage of
Plectus sambesii
and several other emerging model species.