Paramecium bursaria is a unicellular ciliate protist. Ciliates have their body covered by tiny hairs that help them to move in very characteristic ways and help with prey capture for feeding, as ciliates do not have chloroplasts and therefore they are not photosynthetic. Paramecium is a model organism to study endosymbiosis as it contains symbiotic green algae. The algae feels safe inside the ciliate and the ciliate benefits by taking some energy from the algae photosynthesis, so they live happily in this symbiotic relationship.

Division/Phylum: Ciliates/Ciliophora
Class: Oligohymenophorea
Order: Peniculida
CCAP Ref: CCAP 1660/13
Required Medium: SES
Environment: Freshwater

30ml pack size, suitable for 30 students.

Store at room temperature (14-24°C) away from direct sunlight. Shake before pipetting onto slide & viewing under microscope.

Darwin Biological's algae and protozoa samples are produced in partnership with the Culture Collection of Algae & Protozoa (CCAP) and are only available for UK schools and colleges to purchase. Please visit https://www.ccap.ac.uk/ to purchase if you are a university or commercial customer.

*There is a 2-3 week lead time, demand dependent, when ordering this specimen*

Upon receipt, loosen cap. Store algae between 10-24°C, 20°C is perfect. Regarding light, ensure the culture is kept out of direct sunlight, ideally near a north facing window provided the temperature doesn't drop/rise too much.

We recommend you use the algae within 1 week of delivery if you do not intend to grow on. To grow on please see the instructions for the specific algae/protozoa you are purchasing, all are sent with instructions. We offer ready made vials of both freshwater and marine growth medium.

Mainland Britain

Our UK mainland delivery charges are as follows: (All figures are exc. VAT)

We send all items by Royal Mail 24. Please allow 2 days for us to dispatch, although it could be longer at busier times. This is a tracked service but NOT signed for, if you require a signed for service please select next day delivery.

For next day delivery, please order by 12 noon, item must be in stock. All stock levels are shown on the web, if showing as out of stock or prepared to order and required urgently, please contact us as we may have stock! Next day orders are sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm.

Drosophila are always dispatched on a Monday, please advise when ordering your preferred delivery week.

Our working hours are 9.30am - 4pm Monday - Thursday, 9am - 12pm Friday. Orders received outside these hours will be processed the next working day; orders are only dispatched Monday-Thursday (Monday-Wednesday for perishable items). Hours vary during school holidays but we are usually available via email.

Contact us >>> 

Northern Ireland

Sadly, due to the UK leaving the EU, we can no longer supply Northern Irish customers with any products the have codes starting with an 'L' or 'P'. This is due to the requirement for all live or preserved products to have an import licence specific to the customer purchasing and the product being purchased. As each licence takes 2 weeks to obtain, and involves a considerable amount of paperwork, we have made the difficult decision to stop offering these products to Northern Irish customers. We can still offer equipment, i.e. products with an 'E' code, as these simply require customs documentation.

We apologise for the inconvenience and if the legislation changes we will review our decision.

British Islands

Delivery charges to the Isle of Man, Channel Islands (including Jersey & Guernsey), Shetland, Orkney and all the other islands we've missed, are the same as to mainland Britain (see above). The main difference is that delivery is likely to take a little longer, and for this reason we cannot guarantee next day delivery.

In addition, we cannot ship any liquids, so any 'wet' specimen ordered will be sent vacuum packed rather than in a jar.

International Orders

We welcome international orders but please note only non-perishable and non-animal derivative items, i.e. only those with codes starting with an 'E', can be sent.

Buyer is responsible for all import duties and taxes. EU businesses need to supply an EORI number before we can ship.

EU Delivery: £22

Non-EU Delivery £28

If you wish to buy something very small/lightweight, or need urgent delivery, please contact us for a postage quote, otherwise standard charges apply.

Click here for contact information >>

Click here for our returns policy >>