Blood agar, MacConkey, chocolate agar, MSA — when to use each selective media in clinical, food, and industrial microbiology labs.
Matching Media to Microbe
Using the wrong plate wastes time and gives false negatives. This guide maps common Pakistani lab workflows to the correct media.
Media Selection Quick Reference
- Blood agar: General cultivation, hemolysis typing (Strep, Staph)
- MacConkey agar: Gram-negative enterics (E. coli, Salmonella screening)
- XLD / SS agar: Salmonella and Shigella from food and water
- Mannitol salt agar (MSA): Staphylococcus aureus selection
- Baird-Parker: Staphylococcus in food with high background flora
- SDA: Fungi and yeasts in cosmetic and herbal products
Supplements to Stock
Defibrinated sheep blood, egg yolk emulsion, antibiotics (colistin, nalidixic acid) for selective formulations — available on request through BWS.
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