An improved method for determining celluloytic activity in anerobic bacteria

SUMMARY An improved method for determining cellulolytic activity in anaerobic bacteria is described in which the disintegration of a filter paper strip denotes activity. By inoculating the paper-containing media from dilutions of material such as rumen contents estimates of the numbers of cellulolytic bacteria in the original material may be made. The method can also be used for determining cellulolytic activity of pure cultures. Morphology and other properties of the bacteria may be determined.