Researchers from Minia University, Egypt, have designed a groundbreaking selective medium called FANS (Fluconazole + Ampicillin + Nystatin + Sulbactam) to simplify and reduce the cost of isolating Pythium species — notorious plant pathogens that are difficult to culture due to microbial contamination.
The team led by Hani M. A. Abdelzaher and colleagues developed FANS as a safer and cheaper alternative to existing selective media like VP3, NARM, and NARF, which rely on costly or potentially toxic antibiotics such as PCNB and Pimaricin. Instead, the FANS formulation uses easily available pharmaceutical antibiotics that are both effective and environmentally safer.
In trials with Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium oligandrum, and Globisporangium ultimum var. ultimum, the FANS medium showed superior performance — promoting strong mycelial growth and reproductive structure formation while completely inhibiting unwanted fungal and bacterial contaminants.
The study emphasizes that FANS’ low cost (approximately USD 11.55 per liter) and wide availability of its ingredients make it ideal for laboratories in developing and low-income countries. By offering a safer, cheaper, and highly selective growth environment, FANS opens new opportunities for mycologists and plant pathologists studying Oomycota pathogens.
Beyond agriculture, Pythium species are also known to cause infections in humans and animals, including the disease pythiosis. Thus, the development of FANS could also aid clinical and veterinary mycology by providing a reliable and accessible method for isolating these pathogens.
“The use of FANS selective medium made Pythium isolation easier, safer, and less expensive,” the authors conclude, underscoring its value for global research and sustainable biotechnology initiatives.
Reference
Moharam, S. A., Sadek, A. M., Abdelzaher, H. M. A., Shoulkamy, M. A., & Arafat, H. H. (2025). A novel, cheap and easy preparing selective medium for isolation of Pythium species. AMB Express, 15(1), 148. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13568-025-01946-x
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