Protist collection

The Protist collection consists of microscope slides, fixed specimens, and documentations from renowned Protistologists, and deposits from the present day.

Presentation

The specimens are “free living” or parasitic Protists, mainly Ciliates, Flagellates (Kinetoplastids, Trichomonads and Diplomonads) and Apicomplexans, but also other groups (Foraminifera, Heliozoans, Amoeba, etc.).

The collections consist of:

  • histological collections of fixed and usually dyed micro-organisms (23,000 slides, blocks and tubes), coming from the historical collections of renowned Protistologists (E. Chatton, A. Hollande, G. Deroux, J. and M. Cachon, J.P. Mignot, E. Fauré-Fremiet, etc.) on the one hand, and deposits by modern-day Protistologists on the other. It contains many types. 
  • document collections containing photographs, photon and electron microscope negatives, and original drawings.

Dimoeriopsis destructor Hollande & Pesson 1945 - Collection André Hollande

© MNHN - P. Grellier
Staurojoenina gracilis au microscope

Staurojoenina gracilis, Eukaryota

© MNHN - P. Grellier

Joenia duboscqui Hollande & Valentin 1969 - Ile de Madère, Portugal. Collection A. Hollande

© MNHN - P. Grellier

Ichthyodinium chabelardi Hollande & Cachon 1953 - Œuf de sardine. Collection André Hollande

© MNHN - P. Grellier

Rhizosphaera algerica Hollande & Enjumet 1960 - Baie d’Alger, Méditerranée. Coll. A. Hollande

© MNHN - P. Grellier

Labyrinthula algerensis Hollande & Enjumet 1955 - Algérie. Collection André Hollande

© MNHN - P. Grellier

Research

These collections are regularly enriched by deposits of types, donations of protistologists’ collections, and isolated protists from various environments (free living soil, freshwater and marine protists, commensal protists and animal parasites).

As well as being of interest in their own right, the types in the historical collections, often combined with reference articles and drawings, enable us to monitor the evolution of Protistology techniques and provide a high-quality iconographic aid for creating protist databases and designing educational tools.

A number of digital documents about the scientific careers of great French Protistologists like Edouard Chatton and André Lwoff, or detailing the biology of particular protist families, have thus been created or are being created

Contact

Philippe Grellier, curator of the Protist Collections, Loan Manager
philippe.grellier [@] mnhn.fr
Tél. +33 1 40 79 35 10

Marc Dellinger, curator of the Ciliate Collections
marc.dellinger [@] mnhn.fr
Tél. +33 1 40 79 37 30