Culture Media by Morphological Classification

Morphological Class

Protozoa

Culture Media

1 Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), or Chapman Agar This is a selective and differential medium. The high concentration of NaCl (~7.5%) selects for halophiles, organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations, thereby favouring the growth of Staphylococcus species. Mannitol is the differential component: S. aureus ferments mannitol, lowering the pH of the medium, which results in a color change of the pH indicator from red to yellow. Thus, growth of S. aureus is indicated by yellow colonies.
2 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
3 MacConkey Agar Traditionally used to isolate and differentiate Gram-negative bacilli, E. faecalis can grow on this medium, producing small, round, magenta pink colonies due to lactose fermentation, indicating a positive result.
4 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
5 Phenol Red Mannitol Broth This is a differential medium, used to determine an organism's ability to ferment mannitol. S. aureus, which can ferment mannitol, will change the medium from red to yellow due to acid production.
6 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
7 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
8 Sula’s Medium A liquid medium containing glycerol, asparagine, and a variety of salts. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
9 BACTEC This is not a traditional medium but a system for detecting the growth of M. tuberculosis by monitoring the release of C14O2 from C14 palmitic acid, which the bacteria metabolize. An increase in radioactive counts in the BACTEC instrument indicates the growth of bacteria.
10 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
11 Simmons Citrate Agar Used for citrate utilization testing. E. coli usually can't utilize citrate as a sole carbon source, so no growth or color change would be expected.
12 Urea Agar/Broth E. coli is typically urease negative, so no color change would be expected in this medium.
13 Dubos’ Medium A liquid medium that contains a mixture of salts, fatty acids, and polysorbate. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it causes the medium to become turbid.
14 Sorbitol-MacConkey agar A variant of MacConkey agar, used in detecting E. coli O157:H7, which does not ferment sorbitol, unlike most strains of E. coli.
15 Proskauer and Beck’s Medium A liquid medium. The growth of M. tuberculosis causes turbidity.
16 Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) Medium An egg-based medium that uses malachite green to suppress the growth of other bacteria and glycerol to stimulate the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The colonies of M. tuberculosis on LJ are non-pigmented, dry, rough, raised, irregular with a wrinkled surface, initially creamy-white, turning yellowish or buff-colored on further incubation.
17 Middlebrook 7H10 Agar A selective medium that contains oleic acid, albumin, dextrose, and catalase. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, rough, and buff to white-colored, taking less time to appear compared to egg-based media.
18 DNase Test Agar S. aureus produces the enzyme DNase which hydrolyses DNA. When S. aureus grows on this medium, the DNA is broken down, which can be visualised using a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution: clear zones around the colonies indicate DNA breakdown.
19 Sauton’s Medium A liquid medium that lacks detergents, which helps in the formation of corded colonies. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it results in turbidity.
20 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
21 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
22 Lysine Iron Agar (LIA) Used to determine the ability of an organism to decarboxylate or deaminate lysine and to form hydrogen sulfide. E. coli is typically lysine decarboxylase positive and H2S negative, so you would see a reaction of red/purple slant and purple/red butt with no black precipitate.
23 Azide Dextrose Broth A selective medium inhibiting Gram-negative bacteria, used for the isolation of streptococci and staphylococci from mixed samples. E. faecalis will show a positive growth resulting in a turbid appearance of the broth.
24 Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) Typically used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. E. coli colonies appear pale straw colored.
25 Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) consists of a nutrient-rich substrate, made from dehydrated Potato Infusion and Dextrose, ideal for robust mycological propagation. Agar provides the solidifying medium. Acidification, typically using sterile tartaric acid, adjusts the pH to 3.5 +/- 0.1 to create a more selective environment by inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Additionally, Chloramphenicol is incorporated as an antimicrobial agent to further suppress bacterial contamination, thereby facilitating the selective isolation of fungi.
26 Blood Agar (BA) This is a nutrient-rich, differential medium that supports the growth of many organisms. S. aureus forms colonies that are round, smooth, and golden-yellow. This bacterium typically demonstrates β-hemolysis, which is complete lysis of red blood cells, resulting in a clear zone around the colonies. This hemolysis is due to the production of hemolysins by S. aureus.
27 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
28 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
29 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
30 Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) A general purpose medium. E. coli colonies are medium to large, with a shiny moist appearance.
31 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
32 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
33 Middlebrook 7H11 Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium similar to 7H10 but includes additional pyruvate for energy source, promoting more luxurious growth. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, slightly domed, and rough with a butyrous consistency.
34 Petragnini Medium An egg-based medium enriched with additional nutrients to promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies of M. tuberculosis are small, round, buff-colored, and typically take 3-4 weeks to appear.
35 Pawlowsky Medium A potato-based medium. Growth of M. tuberculosis may be similar to that seen on the LJ Medium.
36 Nutrient Agar It is a general-purpose medium. However, E. faecalis grows poorly on nutrient agar, which means it does not proliferate as well on this medium compared to the others listed, indicating a negative or poor growth.
37 Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80 It is used for the identification of Candida species by promoting the formation of chlamydospores, which is a characteristic of Candida albicans.
38 Liquid Media (such as Nutrient Broth) E. coli exhibits homogenous turbid growth within 12-18 hours. After prolonged incubation, pellicles may form on the surface of the media.
39 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
40 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.
41 Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) Agar E. coli typically produces an acid butt, acid slant, and gas, with no H2S production, indicating it ferments lactose, sucrose, and glucose.
42 Tryptic Soy Broth or Agar (TSB/TSA) A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria. E. faecalis on TSA will typically form small, round, and white colonies, indicating a positive growth.
43 Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) It is composed of peptone, dextrose (glucose), and agar. The high dextrose concentration promotes fungal growth, while the acidic pH inhibits bacterial growth.
44 Middlebrook 7H9 Broth This is a liquid medium that contains glycerol and Tween 80, which prevent clumping of mycobacteria. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
45 Loeffler Medium A serum-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies on Loeffler medium are small, dry, wrinkled, and off-white to yellow.

Mycobacteria

Culture Media

1 CHROMagar Candida This differential medium allows for the isolation and identification of Candida species based on colony color. Candida albicans usually forms green colonies on this medium.
2 MacConkey Agar Traditionally used to isolate and differentiate Gram-negative bacilli, E. faecalis can grow on this medium, producing small, round, magenta pink colonies due to lactose fermentation, indicating a positive result.
3 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
4 Lysine Iron Agar (LIA) Used to determine the ability of an organism to decarboxylate or deaminate lysine and to form hydrogen sulfide. E. coli is typically lysine decarboxylase positive and H2S negative, so you would see a reaction of red/purple slant and purple/red butt with no black precipitate.
5 Azide Dextrose Broth A selective medium inhibiting Gram-negative bacteria, used for the isolation of streptococci and staphylococci from mixed samples. E. faecalis will show a positive growth resulting in a turbid appearance of the broth.
6 Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) Typically used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. E. coli colonies appear pale straw colored.
7 BACTEC This is not a traditional medium but a system for detecting the growth of M. tuberculosis by monitoring the release of C14O2 from C14 palmitic acid, which the bacteria metabolize. An increase in radioactive counts in the BACTEC instrument indicates the growth of bacteria.
8 Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), or Chapman Agar This is a selective and differential medium. The high concentration of NaCl (~7.5%) selects for halophiles, organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations, thereby favouring the growth of Staphylococcus species. Mannitol is the differential component: S. aureus ferments mannitol, lowering the pH of the medium, which results in a color change of the pH indicator from red to yellow. Thus, growth of S. aureus is indicated by yellow colonies.
9 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
10 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
11 DNase Test Agar S. aureus produces the enzyme DNase which hydrolyses DNA. When S. aureus grows on this medium, the DNA is broken down, which can be visualised using a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution: clear zones around the colonies indicate DNA breakdown.
12 Simmons Citrate Agar Used for citrate utilization testing. E. coli usually can't utilize citrate as a sole carbon source, so no growth or color change would be expected.
13 Urea Agar/Broth E. coli is typically urease negative, so no color change would be expected in this medium.
14 Dubos’ Medium A liquid medium that contains a mixture of salts, fatty acids, and polysorbate. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it causes the medium to become turbid.
15 Sorbitol-MacConkey agar A variant of MacConkey agar, used in detecting E. coli O157:H7, which does not ferment sorbitol, unlike most strains of E. coli.
16 Proskauer and Beck’s Medium A liquid medium. The growth of M. tuberculosis causes turbidity.
17 Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) Medium An egg-based medium that uses malachite green to suppress the growth of other bacteria and glycerol to stimulate the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The colonies of M. tuberculosis on LJ are non-pigmented, dry, rough, raised, irregular with a wrinkled surface, initially creamy-white, turning yellowish or buff-colored on further incubation.
18 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
19 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
20 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
21 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
22 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
23 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
24 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
25 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
26 Petragnini Medium An egg-based medium enriched with additional nutrients to promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies of M. tuberculosis are small, round, buff-colored, and typically take 3-4 weeks to appear.
27 Pawlowsky Medium A potato-based medium. Growth of M. tuberculosis may be similar to that seen on the LJ Medium.
28 Nutrient Agar It is a general-purpose medium. However, E. faecalis grows poorly on nutrient agar, which means it does not proliferate as well on this medium compared to the others listed, indicating a negative or poor growth.
29 Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80 It is used for the identification of Candida species by promoting the formation of chlamydospores, which is a characteristic of Candida albicans.
30 MacConkey Agar (MAC) This selective and differential medium distinguishes lactose fermenters from non-fermenters. E. coli colonies are circular, moist, smooth, and pink.
31 m-ENDO Agar E. coli colonies appear as green with a metallic sheen, indicating lactose fermentation.
32 Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) A selective medium that is used to isolate Salmonella species, but E. coli can grow on it, albeit not as well.
33 Dorset Medium An egg-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies appear similar to those on Petragnini Medium: small, round, buff-colored, and taking 3-4 weeks to develop.
34 Nutrient Agar (NA) A non-selective medium. E. coli colonies are usually large, circular, grayish-white, moist, and smooth.
35 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
36 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
37 Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) Agar E. coli typically produces an acid butt, acid slant, and gas, with no H2S production, indicating it ferments lactose, sucrose, and glucose.
38 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.
39 Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) consists of a nutrient-rich substrate, made from dehydrated Potato Infusion and Dextrose, ideal for robust mycological propagation. Agar provides the solidifying medium. Acidification, typically using sterile tartaric acid, adjusts the pH to 3.5 +/- 0.1 to create a more selective environment by inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Additionally, Chloramphenicol is incorporated as an antimicrobial agent to further suppress bacterial contamination, thereby facilitating the selective isolation of fungi.

Fungi

Culture Media

1 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
2 MacConkey Agar Traditionally used to isolate and differentiate Gram-negative bacilli, E. faecalis can grow on this medium, producing small, round, magenta pink colonies due to lactose fermentation, indicating a positive result.
3 Loeffler Medium A serum-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies on Loeffler medium are small, dry, wrinkled, and off-white to yellow.
4 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
5 Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) Typically used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. E. coli colonies appear pale straw colored.
6 Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), or Chapman Agar This is a selective and differential medium. The high concentration of NaCl (~7.5%) selects for halophiles, organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations, thereby favouring the growth of Staphylococcus species. Mannitol is the differential component: S. aureus ferments mannitol, lowering the pH of the medium, which results in a color change of the pH indicator from red to yellow. Thus, growth of S. aureus is indicated by yellow colonies.
7 Liquid Media (such as Nutrient Broth) E. coli exhibits homogenous turbid growth within 12-18 hours. After prolonged incubation, pellicles may form on the surface of the media.
8 Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) It is composed of peptone, dextrose (glucose), and agar. The high dextrose concentration promotes fungal growth, while the acidic pH inhibits bacterial growth.
9 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
10 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
11 DNase Test Agar S. aureus produces the enzyme DNase which hydrolyses DNA. When S. aureus grows on this medium, the DNA is broken down, which can be visualised using a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution: clear zones around the colonies indicate DNA breakdown.
12 Proskauer and Beck’s Medium A liquid medium. The growth of M. tuberculosis causes turbidity.
13 Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) Medium An egg-based medium that uses malachite green to suppress the growth of other bacteria and glycerol to stimulate the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The colonies of M. tuberculosis on LJ are non-pigmented, dry, rough, raised, irregular with a wrinkled surface, initially creamy-white, turning yellowish or buff-colored on further incubation.
14 Middlebrook 7H10 Agar A selective medium that contains oleic acid, albumin, dextrose, and catalase. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, rough, and buff to white-colored, taking less time to appear compared to egg-based media.
15 Petragnini Medium An egg-based medium enriched with additional nutrients to promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies of M. tuberculosis are small, round, buff-colored, and typically take 3-4 weeks to appear.
16 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
17 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
18 Middlebrook 7H11 Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium similar to 7H10 but includes additional pyruvate for energy source, promoting more luxurious growth. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, slightly domed, and rough with a butyrous consistency.
19 Blood Agar (BA) This is a nutrient-rich, differential medium that supports the growth of many organisms. S. aureus forms colonies that are round, smooth, and golden-yellow. This bacterium typically demonstrates β-hemolysis, which is complete lysis of red blood cells, resulting in a clear zone around the colonies. This hemolysis is due to the production of hemolysins by S. aureus.
20 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
21 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
22 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
23 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
24 Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) A general purpose medium. E. coli colonies are medium to large, with a shiny moist appearance.
25 Sula’s Medium A liquid medium containing glycerol, asparagine, and a variety of salts. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
26 Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80 It is used for the identification of Candida species by promoting the formation of chlamydospores, which is a characteristic of Candida albicans.
27 Nutrient Agar (NA) A non-selective medium. E. coli colonies are usually large, circular, grayish-white, moist, and smooth.
28 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
29 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
30 Pawlowsky Medium A potato-based medium. Growth of M. tuberculosis may be similar to that seen on the LJ Medium.
31 Nutrient Agar It is a general-purpose medium. However, E. faecalis grows poorly on nutrient agar, which means it does not proliferate as well on this medium compared to the others listed, indicating a negative or poor growth.
32 MacConkey Agar (MAC) This selective and differential medium distinguishes lactose fermenters from non-fermenters. E. coli colonies are circular, moist, smooth, and pink.
33 m-ENDO Agar E. coli colonies appear as green with a metallic sheen, indicating lactose fermentation.
34 Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) A selective medium that is used to isolate Salmonella species, but E. coli can grow on it, albeit not as well.
35 Dorset Medium An egg-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies appear similar to those on Petragnini Medium: small, round, buff-colored, and taking 3-4 weeks to develop.
36 Sorbitol-MacConkey agar A variant of MacConkey agar, used in detecting E. coli O157:H7, which does not ferment sorbitol, unlike most strains of E. coli.
37 Simmons Citrate Agar Used for citrate utilization testing. E. coli usually can't utilize citrate as a sole carbon source, so no growth or color change would be expected.
38 Urea Agar/Broth E. coli is typically urease negative, so no color change would be expected in this medium.
39 Dubos’ Medium A liquid medium that contains a mixture of salts, fatty acids, and polysorbate. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it causes the medium to become turbid.
40 Middlebrook 7H9 Broth This is a liquid medium that contains glycerol and Tween 80, which prevent clumping of mycobacteria. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
41 Tryptic Soy Broth or Agar (TSB/TSA) A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria. E. faecalis on TSA will typically form small, round, and white colonies, indicating a positive growth.
42 Phenol Red Mannitol Broth This is a differential medium, used to determine an organism's ability to ferment mannitol. S. aureus, which can ferment mannitol, will change the medium from red to yellow due to acid production.
43 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
44 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.

Bacilli

Culture Media

1 Loeffler Medium A serum-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies on Loeffler medium are small, dry, wrinkled, and off-white to yellow.
2 MacConkey Agar Traditionally used to isolate and differentiate Gram-negative bacilli, E. faecalis can grow on this medium, producing small, round, magenta pink colonies due to lactose fermentation, indicating a positive result.
3 Middlebrook 7H9 Broth This is a liquid medium that contains glycerol and Tween 80, which prevent clumping of mycobacteria. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
4 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
5 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
6 Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), or Chapman Agar This is a selective and differential medium. The high concentration of NaCl (~7.5%) selects for halophiles, organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations, thereby favouring the growth of Staphylococcus species. Mannitol is the differential component: S. aureus ferments mannitol, lowering the pH of the medium, which results in a color change of the pH indicator from red to yellow. Thus, growth of S. aureus is indicated by yellow colonies.
7 CHROMagar Candida This differential medium allows for the isolation and identification of Candida species based on colony color. Candida albicans usually forms green colonies on this medium.
8 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
9 Proskauer and Beck’s Medium A liquid medium. The growth of M. tuberculosis causes turbidity.
10 Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) Medium An egg-based medium that uses malachite green to suppress the growth of other bacteria and glycerol to stimulate the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The colonies of M. tuberculosis on LJ are non-pigmented, dry, rough, raised, irregular with a wrinkled surface, initially creamy-white, turning yellowish or buff-colored on further incubation.
11 Middlebrook 7H10 Agar A selective medium that contains oleic acid, albumin, dextrose, and catalase. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, rough, and buff to white-colored, taking less time to appear compared to egg-based media.
12 Petragnini Medium An egg-based medium enriched with additional nutrients to promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies of M. tuberculosis are small, round, buff-colored, and typically take 3-4 weeks to appear.
13 Pawlowsky Medium A potato-based medium. Growth of M. tuberculosis may be similar to that seen on the LJ Medium.
14 Sula’s Medium A liquid medium containing glycerol, asparagine, and a variety of salts. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
15 Nutrient Agar It is a general-purpose medium. However, E. faecalis grows poorly on nutrient agar, which means it does not proliferate as well on this medium compared to the others listed, indicating a negative or poor growth.
16 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
17 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
18 Middlebrook 7H11 Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium similar to 7H10 but includes additional pyruvate for energy source, promoting more luxurious growth. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, slightly domed, and rough with a butyrous consistency.
19 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
20 Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) consists of a nutrient-rich substrate, made from dehydrated Potato Infusion and Dextrose, ideal for robust mycological propagation. Agar provides the solidifying medium. Acidification, typically using sterile tartaric acid, adjusts the pH to 3.5 +/- 0.1 to create a more selective environment by inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Additionally, Chloramphenicol is incorporated as an antimicrobial agent to further suppress bacterial contamination, thereby facilitating the selective isolation of fungi.
21 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
22 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
23 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
24 Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) A general purpose medium. E. coli colonies are medium to large, with a shiny moist appearance.
25 Nutrient Agar (NA) A non-selective medium. E. coli colonies are usually large, circular, grayish-white, moist, and smooth.
26 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
27 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
28 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
29 Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80 It is used for the identification of Candida species by promoting the formation of chlamydospores, which is a characteristic of Candida albicans.
30 Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) A selective medium that is used to isolate Salmonella species, but E. coli can grow on it, albeit not as well.
31 Dorset Medium An egg-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies appear similar to those on Petragnini Medium: small, round, buff-colored, and taking 3-4 weeks to develop.
32 Urea Agar/Broth E. coli is typically urease negative, so no color change would be expected in this medium.
33 m-ENDO Agar E. coli colonies appear as green with a metallic sheen, indicating lactose fermentation.
34 Dubos’ Medium A liquid medium that contains a mixture of salts, fatty acids, and polysorbate. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it causes the medium to become turbid.
35 DNase Test Agar S. aureus produces the enzyme DNase which hydrolyses DNA. When S. aureus grows on this medium, the DNA is broken down, which can be visualised using a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution: clear zones around the colonies indicate DNA breakdown.
36 MacConkey Agar (MAC) This selective and differential medium distinguishes lactose fermenters from non-fermenters. E. coli colonies are circular, moist, smooth, and pink.
37 Liquid Media (such as Nutrient Broth) E. coli exhibits homogenous turbid growth within 12-18 hours. After prolonged incubation, pellicles may form on the surface of the media.
38 Sorbitol-MacConkey agar A variant of MacConkey agar, used in detecting E. coli O157:H7, which does not ferment sorbitol, unlike most strains of E. coli.
39 Simmons Citrate Agar Used for citrate utilization testing. E. coli usually can't utilize citrate as a sole carbon source, so no growth or color change would be expected.
40 Tryptic Soy Broth or Agar (TSB/TSA) A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria. E. faecalis on TSA will typically form small, round, and white colonies, indicating a positive growth.
41 Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) It is composed of peptone, dextrose (glucose), and agar. The high dextrose concentration promotes fungal growth, while the acidic pH inhibits bacterial growth.
42 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
43 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.

Cocci

Culture Media

1 m-ENDO Agar E. coli colonies appear as green with a metallic sheen, indicating lactose fermentation.
2 Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), or Chapman Agar This is a selective and differential medium. The high concentration of NaCl (~7.5%) selects for halophiles, organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations, thereby favouring the growth of Staphylococcus species. Mannitol is the differential component: S. aureus ferments mannitol, lowering the pH of the medium, which results in a color change of the pH indicator from red to yellow. Thus, growth of S. aureus is indicated by yellow colonies.
3 CHROMagar Candida This differential medium allows for the isolation and identification of Candida species based on colony color. Candida albicans usually forms green colonies on this medium.
4 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
5 MacConkey Agar (MAC) This selective and differential medium distinguishes lactose fermenters from non-fermenters. E. coli colonies are circular, moist, smooth, and pink.
6 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
7 DNase Test Agar S. aureus produces the enzyme DNase which hydrolyses DNA. When S. aureus grows on this medium, the DNA is broken down, which can be visualised using a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution: clear zones around the colonies indicate DNA breakdown.
8 Phenol Red Mannitol Broth This is a differential medium, used to determine an organism's ability to ferment mannitol. S. aureus, which can ferment mannitol, will change the medium from red to yellow due to acid production.
9 Azide Dextrose Broth A selective medium inhibiting Gram-negative bacteria, used for the isolation of streptococci and staphylococci from mixed samples. E. faecalis will show a positive growth resulting in a turbid appearance of the broth.
10 Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) Typically used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. E. coli colonies appear pale straw colored.
11 Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) consists of a nutrient-rich substrate, made from dehydrated Potato Infusion and Dextrose, ideal for robust mycological propagation. Agar provides the solidifying medium. Acidification, typically using sterile tartaric acid, adjusts the pH to 3.5 +/- 0.1 to create a more selective environment by inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Additionally, Chloramphenicol is incorporated as an antimicrobial agent to further suppress bacterial contamination, thereby facilitating the selective isolation of fungi.
12 Blood Agar (BA) This is a nutrient-rich, differential medium that supports the growth of many organisms. S. aureus forms colonies that are round, smooth, and golden-yellow. This bacterium typically demonstrates β-hemolysis, which is complete lysis of red blood cells, resulting in a clear zone around the colonies. This hemolysis is due to the production of hemolysins by S. aureus.
13 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
14 Middlebrook 7H9 Broth This is a liquid medium that contains glycerol and Tween 80, which prevent clumping of mycobacteria. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
15 Loeffler Medium A serum-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies on Loeffler medium are small, dry, wrinkled, and off-white to yellow.
16 Lysine Iron Agar (LIA) Used to determine the ability of an organism to decarboxylate or deaminate lysine and to form hydrogen sulfide. E. coli is typically lysine decarboxylase positive and H2S negative, so you would see a reaction of red/purple slant and purple/red butt with no black precipitate.
17 Sauton’s Medium A liquid medium that lacks detergents, which helps in the formation of corded colonies. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it results in turbidity.
18 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
19 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
20 Liquid Media (such as Nutrient Broth) E. coli exhibits homogenous turbid growth within 12-18 hours. After prolonged incubation, pellicles may form on the surface of the media.
21 BACTEC This is not a traditional medium but a system for detecting the growth of M. tuberculosis by monitoring the release of C14O2 from C14 palmitic acid, which the bacteria metabolize. An increase in radioactive counts in the BACTEC instrument indicates the growth of bacteria.
22 Sula’s Medium A liquid medium containing glycerol, asparagine, and a variety of salts. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
23 Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) A general purpose medium. E. coli colonies are medium to large, with a shiny moist appearance.
24 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
25 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
26 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
27 Middlebrook 7H11 Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium similar to 7H10 but includes additional pyruvate for energy source, promoting more luxurious growth. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, slightly domed, and rough with a butyrous consistency.
28 Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) A selective medium that is used to isolate Salmonella species, but E. coli can grow on it, albeit not as well.
29 Nutrient Agar (NA) A non-selective medium. E. coli colonies are usually large, circular, grayish-white, moist, and smooth.
30 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
31 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
32 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
33 Dorset Medium An egg-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies appear similar to those on Petragnini Medium: small, round, buff-colored, and taking 3-4 weeks to develop.
34 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
35 Simmons Citrate Agar Used for citrate utilization testing. E. coli usually can't utilize citrate as a sole carbon source, so no growth or color change would be expected.
36 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
37 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.
38 Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) Agar E. coli typically produces an acid butt, acid slant, and gas, with no H2S production, indicating it ferments lactose, sucrose, and glucose.
39 Tryptic Soy Broth or Agar (TSB/TSA) A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria. E. faecalis on TSA will typically form small, round, and white colonies, indicating a positive growth.
40 Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) It is composed of peptone, dextrose (glucose), and agar. The high dextrose concentration promotes fungal growth, while the acidic pH inhibits bacterial growth.

Spirillum

Culture Media

1 Petragnini Medium An egg-based medium enriched with additional nutrients to promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies of M. tuberculosis are small, round, buff-colored, and typically take 3-4 weeks to appear.
2 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
3 Blood Agar (BA) This is a nutrient-rich, differential medium that supports the growth of many organisms. S. aureus forms colonies that are round, smooth, and golden-yellow. This bacterium typically demonstrates β-hemolysis, which is complete lysis of red blood cells, resulting in a clear zone around the colonies. This hemolysis is due to the production of hemolysins by S. aureus.
4 CHROMagar Candida This differential medium allows for the isolation and identification of Candida species based on colony color. Candida albicans usually forms green colonies on this medium.
5 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
6 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
7 MacConkey Agar Traditionally used to isolate and differentiate Gram-negative bacilli, E. faecalis can grow on this medium, producing small, round, magenta pink colonies due to lactose fermentation, indicating a positive result.
8 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
9 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
10 Middlebrook 7H11 Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium similar to 7H10 but includes additional pyruvate for energy source, promoting more luxurious growth. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, slightly domed, and rough with a butyrous consistency.
11 MacConkey Agar (MAC) This selective and differential medium distinguishes lactose fermenters from non-fermenters. E. coli colonies are circular, moist, smooth, and pink.
12 m-ENDO Agar E. coli colonies appear as green with a metallic sheen, indicating lactose fermentation.
13 Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) A selective medium that is used to isolate Salmonella species, but E. coli can grow on it, albeit not as well.
14 Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80 It is used for the identification of Candida species by promoting the formation of chlamydospores, which is a characteristic of Candida albicans.
15 Dorset Medium An egg-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies appear similar to those on Petragnini Medium: small, round, buff-colored, and taking 3-4 weeks to develop.
16 Tryptic Soy Broth or Agar (TSB/TSA) A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria. E. faecalis on TSA will typically form small, round, and white colonies, indicating a positive growth.
17 Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) It is composed of peptone, dextrose (glucose), and agar. The high dextrose concentration promotes fungal growth, while the acidic pH inhibits bacterial growth.
18 Middlebrook 7H9 Broth This is a liquid medium that contains glycerol and Tween 80, which prevent clumping of mycobacteria. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
19 Loeffler Medium A serum-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies on Loeffler medium are small, dry, wrinkled, and off-white to yellow.
20 Phenol Red Mannitol Broth This is a differential medium, used to determine an organism's ability to ferment mannitol. S. aureus, which can ferment mannitol, will change the medium from red to yellow due to acid production.
21 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
22 Nutrient Agar It is a general-purpose medium. However, E. faecalis grows poorly on nutrient agar, which means it does not proliferate as well on this medium compared to the others listed, indicating a negative or poor growth.
23 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
24 Sauton’s Medium A liquid medium that lacks detergents, which helps in the formation of corded colonies. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it results in turbidity.
25 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
26 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
27 Azide Dextrose Broth A selective medium inhibiting Gram-negative bacteria, used for the isolation of streptococci and staphylococci from mixed samples. E. faecalis will show a positive growth resulting in a turbid appearance of the broth.
28 Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) Typically used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. E. coli colonies appear pale straw colored.
29 BACTEC This is not a traditional medium but a system for detecting the growth of M. tuberculosis by monitoring the release of C14O2 from C14 palmitic acid, which the bacteria metabolize. An increase in radioactive counts in the BACTEC instrument indicates the growth of bacteria.
30 Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), or Chapman Agar This is a selective and differential medium. The high concentration of NaCl (~7.5%) selects for halophiles, organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations, thereby favouring the growth of Staphylococcus species. Mannitol is the differential component: S. aureus ferments mannitol, lowering the pH of the medium, which results in a color change of the pH indicator from red to yellow. Thus, growth of S. aureus is indicated by yellow colonies.
31 Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) consists of a nutrient-rich substrate, made from dehydrated Potato Infusion and Dextrose, ideal for robust mycological propagation. Agar provides the solidifying medium. Acidification, typically using sterile tartaric acid, adjusts the pH to 3.5 +/- 0.1 to create a more selective environment by inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Additionally, Chloramphenicol is incorporated as an antimicrobial agent to further suppress bacterial contamination, thereby facilitating the selective isolation of fungi.
32 Lysine Iron Agar (LIA) Used to determine the ability of an organism to decarboxylate or deaminate lysine and to form hydrogen sulfide. E. coli is typically lysine decarboxylase positive and H2S negative, so you would see a reaction of red/purple slant and purple/red butt with no black precipitate.
33 Sula’s Medium A liquid medium containing glycerol, asparagine, and a variety of salts. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
34 Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) A general purpose medium. E. coli colonies are medium to large, with a shiny moist appearance.
35 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
36 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
37 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
38 Nutrient Agar (NA) A non-selective medium. E. coli colonies are usually large, circular, grayish-white, moist, and smooth.
39 Proskauer and Beck’s Medium A liquid medium. The growth of M. tuberculosis causes turbidity.
40 Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) Medium An egg-based medium that uses malachite green to suppress the growth of other bacteria and glycerol to stimulate the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The colonies of M. tuberculosis on LJ are non-pigmented, dry, rough, raised, irregular with a wrinkled surface, initially creamy-white, turning yellowish or buff-colored on further incubation.
41 Middlebrook 7H10 Agar A selective medium that contains oleic acid, albumin, dextrose, and catalase. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, rough, and buff to white-colored, taking less time to appear compared to egg-based media.
42 Pawlowsky Medium A potato-based medium. Growth of M. tuberculosis may be similar to that seen on the LJ Medium.
43 Liquid Media (such as Nutrient Broth) E. coli exhibits homogenous turbid growth within 12-18 hours. After prolonged incubation, pellicles may form on the surface of the media.
44 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
45 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.
46 Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) Agar E. coli typically produces an acid butt, acid slant, and gas, with no H2S production, indicating it ferments lactose, sucrose, and glucose.

Spirochetes

Culture Media

1 Sf1Ep medium Culturing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, in vitro is a challenge. T. pallidum is not routinely cultured in the laboratory for diagnostic purposes, in part because it cannot be grown on artificial media. However, a breakthrough in culturing T. pallidum was reported in 2018 when researchers managed to grow the bacterium in a rabbit epithelial cell line (Sf1Ep) using a medium called 'Sf1Ep medium'. It's not used for routine diagnostic purposes, but for research only. The diagnosis involves direct microscopic examination, serologic tests, molecular tests and histopathology.
2 Baird-Parker Agar (BPA) his is a selective medium for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. It has lithium chloride and glycine to inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and most Gram-positive bacteria except Staphylococcus. Egg yolk emulsion is added to detect lecithinase production and tellurite reduction. S. aureus colonies on BPA are black due to reduction of tellurite, and they exhibit a clear zone due to lecithinase activity on egg yolk.
3 Phenol Red Mannitol Broth This is a differential medium, used to determine an organism's ability to ferment mannitol. S. aureus, which can ferment mannitol, will change the medium from red to yellow due to acid production.
4 Blood Agar A differential medium used to identify bacteria based on their hemolytic properties. E. faecalis typically shows gamma-hemolysis on this medium, i.e., no hemolysis or change in the color of the medium.
5 CHROMagar Candida This differential medium allows for the isolation and identification of Candida species based on colony color. Candida albicans usually forms green colonies on this medium.
6 MacConkey Agar Traditionally used to isolate and differentiate Gram-negative bacilli, E. faecalis can grow on this medium, producing small, round, magenta pink colonies due to lactose fermentation, indicating a positive result.
7 Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar A selective and differential medium where E. coli forms distinctive metallic green sheen colonies due to vigorous lactose fermentation.
8 DNase Test Agar S. aureus produces the enzyme DNase which hydrolyses DNA. When S. aureus grows on this medium, the DNA is broken down, which can be visualised using a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution: clear zones around the colonies indicate DNA breakdown.
9 Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) A selective medium that is used to isolate Salmonella species, but E. coli can grow on it, albeit not as well.
10 Dorset Medium An egg-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies appear similar to those on Petragnini Medium: small, round, buff-colored, and taking 3-4 weeks to develop.
11 Nutrient Agar (NA) A non-selective medium. E. coli colonies are usually large, circular, grayish-white, moist, and smooth.
12 Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) Agar E. coli typically produces an acid butt, acid slant, and gas, with no H2S production, indicating it ferments lactose, sucrose, and glucose.
13 Sauton’s Medium A liquid medium that lacks detergents, which helps in the formation of corded colonies. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it results in turbidity.
14 Blood Agar (BA) This is a nutrient-rich, differential medium that supports the growth of many organisms. S. aureus forms colonies that are round, smooth, and golden-yellow. This bacterium typically demonstrates β-hemolysis, which is complete lysis of red blood cells, resulting in a clear zone around the colonies. This hemolysis is due to the production of hemolysins by S. aureus.
15 Lysine Iron Agar (LIA) Used to determine the ability of an organism to decarboxylate or deaminate lysine and to form hydrogen sulfide. E. coli is typically lysine decarboxylase positive and H2S negative, so you would see a reaction of red/purple slant and purple/red butt with no black precipitate.
16 Dubos’ Medium A liquid medium that contains a mixture of salts, fatty acids, and polysorbate. When M. tuberculosis grows in this medium, it causes the medium to become turbid.
17 Sula’s Medium A liquid medium containing glycerol, asparagine, and a variety of salts. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
18 Blood Agar (BA) E. coli colonies on this differential medium are large, circular, gray, moist, and can show β-hemolysis.
19 RPMI 1640 Medium It is a rich medium that contains inorganic salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that promote the growth of yeast cells.
20 Middlebrook 7H11 Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium similar to 7H10 but includes additional pyruvate for energy source, promoting more luxurious growth. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, slightly domed, and rough with a butyrous consistency.
21 Nickerson’s Medium or Bismuth Sulfite Glucose Glycine Yeast (BSGG) This medium is used to stimulate the production of germ tubes, a characteristic of Candida albicans.
22 Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) E. coli colonies are red (pink to red) and may show bluish fluorescence under UV light.
23 Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) A selective and differential medium that differentiates group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the ability to hydrolyze esculin in the presence of bile. E. faecalis hydrolyzes esculin, leading to the formation of a dark brown or black precipita
24 Todd-Hewitt Broth A liquid enrichment medium used for the cultivation of fastidious organisms such as streptococci and enterococci. E. faecalis will lead to a turbid broth due to microbial growth.
25 Enterococcosel Agar A selective and differential medium that inhibits the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and distinguishes enterococci based on their ability to grow in the presence of bile and hydrolyze esculin. E. faecalis will form small, black colonies on this medium due to esculin hydrolysis.
26 Cystine Lactose Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) Agar E. coli will give lactose-positive yellow colonies.
27 Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) A general purpose medium. E. coli colonies are medium to large, with a shiny moist appearance.
28 MacConkey Agar (MAC) This selective and differential medium distinguishes lactose fermenters from non-fermenters. E. coli colonies are circular, moist, smooth, and pink.
29 m-ENDO Agar E. coli colonies appear as green with a metallic sheen, indicating lactose fermentation.
30 Proskauer and Beck’s Medium A liquid medium. The growth of M. tuberculosis causes turbidity.
31 Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) Medium An egg-based medium that uses malachite green to suppress the growth of other bacteria and glycerol to stimulate the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The colonies of M. tuberculosis on LJ are non-pigmented, dry, rough, raised, irregular with a wrinkled surface, initially creamy-white, turning yellowish or buff-colored on further incubation.
32 Middlebrook 7H10 Agar A selective medium that contains oleic acid, albumin, dextrose, and catalase. The colonies of M. tuberculosis appear small, rough, and buff to white-colored, taking less time to appear compared to egg-based media.
33 Petragnini Medium An egg-based medium enriched with additional nutrients to promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies of M. tuberculosis are small, round, buff-colored, and typically take 3-4 weeks to appear.
34 Pawlowsky Medium A potato-based medium. Growth of M. tuberculosis may be similar to that seen on the LJ Medium.
35 Nutrient Agar It is a general-purpose medium. However, E. faecalis grows poorly on nutrient agar, which means it does not proliferate as well on this medium compared to the others listed, indicating a negative or poor growth.
36 Simmons Citrate Agar Used for citrate utilization testing. E. coli usually can't utilize citrate as a sole carbon source, so no growth or color change would be expected.
37 Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80 It is used for the identification of Candida species by promoting the formation of chlamydospores, which is a characteristic of Candida albicans.
38 Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) consists of a nutrient-rich substrate, made from dehydrated Potato Infusion and Dextrose, ideal for robust mycological propagation. Agar provides the solidifying medium. Acidification, typically using sterile tartaric acid, adjusts the pH to 3.5 +/- 0.1 to create a more selective environment by inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Additionally, Chloramphenicol is incorporated as an antimicrobial agent to further suppress bacterial contamination, thereby facilitating the selective isolation of fungi.
39 Liquid Media (such as Nutrient Broth) E. coli exhibits homogenous turbid growth within 12-18 hours. After prolonged incubation, pellicles may form on the surface of the media.
40 Sorbitol-MacConkey agar A variant of MacConkey agar, used in detecting E. coli O157:H7, which does not ferment sorbitol, unlike most strains of E. coli.
41 Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) It is composed of peptone, dextrose (glucose), and agar. The high dextrose concentration promotes fungal growth, while the acidic pH inhibits bacterial growth.
42 Middlebrook 7H9 Broth This is a liquid medium that contains glycerol and Tween 80, which prevent clumping of mycobacteria. The growth of M. tuberculosis results in turbidity.
43 Loeffler Medium A serum-based medium. M. tuberculosis colonies on Loeffler medium are small, dry, wrinkled, and off-white to yellow.
44 Tryptic Soy Broth or Agar (TSB/TSA) A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria. E. faecalis on TSA will typically form small, round, and white colonies, indicating a positive growth.
45 Urea Agar/Broth E. coli is typically urease negative, so no color change would be expected in this medium.
46 Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) Broth or Agar This is a nutrient-rich medium that supports the growth of a variety of fastidious organisms, including E. faecalis. The typical phenotype of E. faecalis on BHI is small, round, and white colonies.
47 Tarshis Medium A blood-based medium that can promote the growth of M. tuberculosis. The colonies appear similar to those on the LJ Medium.