The transport and culture conditions for optimum transformation responses of wildfowl lymphocytes to mycobacterial antigens

A method has been developed for increasing the survival of wildfowl lymphocytes during transport over considerable distances. Blood in an equal volume of heparinised RPMI was maintained at close to avian body temperature, i.e., approximately 40 degree C. Using this system lymphocyte transformation in the presence of antigen (mycobacterial) has been successfully performed with wildfowl mononuclear cells for the first time. Duck cells were cultured in 10% autologous sera with 8 x 10 super(5) cells/well for 4 days. Cells from Hawaiian geese (Branta sandvicensis)) required similar culture conditions but were incubated for 3 days.