Preservation of Microbial Strains in the Wine Industry

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a general description of the most commonly used methods for the preservation of microbial strains. Long-term preservation methods are considered the most appropriate option wherever possible, since they involve stopping the growth of the microbial cells and keeping them in a viable state. This guarantees maximum genetic stability by preventing the appearance of successive generations. Nevertheless, the possibility that the preparation method itself leads to changes cannot be ruled out. There are two preservation methods belonging to this group: freezing and lyophilization. In the first long-term preservation method, the cells are frozen suspended in a…