Selecting bacterial mutants by the penicillin method

Certain improvements are described in the use of penicillin for isolating auxotrophic mutants of bacteria. By obtaining exponential growth before the penicillin is added, and by minimizing the duration of the treatment, cross-feeding is decreased and much denser populations can be screened. These modifications have made it possible to obtain, with regularity, mutants of Escherichia coli blocked in a desired step in arginine biosynthesis.