Handbook of Microbiological Media PDF

Overview

The fourth edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media includes the formulations and descriptions of 7,080 media used for cultivating microorganisms—more than 1500 more than in the previous edition. These include both classic and modern media used for the identification, cultivation, and maintenance of diverse bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Some of these microbiological media are produced by major suppliers of dehydrated media—including Oxoid, HiMedia, and BD Diagnostics (Difco, BBL, and GIBCO). These include all the media normally used in the clinical microbiology diagnostic laboratory and for the routine examination of food and water. Other media described in the fourth edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media are used to cultivate specific strains of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists, including many anaerobes and extremophiles. The fourth edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media includes the media needed to cultivate the numerous microorganisms currently available from the world's global bioresource centers (BRCs).

The breadth of culture media in this comprehensive resource is enormous and has greatly expanded in recent years with the exploration of extreme habitats and the use of molecular methods to identify new lineages of bacteria and archaea. The media also represent significant advances in the ability to use chromogenic substrates to identify specific species and strains of bacteria, e.g., E. coli O157 and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These media are extremely useful for clinical diagnostics and for the protection of the food supply from pathogenic microorganisms. Additionally many culture media are now available that are free of animal components. Plant based media eliminate possible contamination with prions which is important for production of vaccines and pharmaceuticals.