Microbiology

Cultivate and isolate fastidious microorganisms with clearly visible hemolytic reactions with Thermo Scientific™ Oxoid™ Columbia Blood Agar Base (Dehydrated) when used with whole defibrinated blood (SR0050). Columbia Blood Agar Base is an ideal base medium for preparation of blood agar, chocolate agar and for preparation of various selective and identification media.

Columbia Blood Agar Base, Oxoid Composition

Columbia Blood Agar, Oxoid Preparation:
Add 39g to 1 litre of distilled water. Boil to dissolve the medium completely. Sterilise by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes. Cool to 50°C and add 5% sterile defibrinated blood.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared plates of medium at 2-8°C.

Precautions
Brucella cultures are highly infective and must be handled under properly protected conditions. Incubate in 5-10% carbon dioxide atmosphere for 24-48 hours.
Campylobacter species are best grown at 42°C (except Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus) in a micro-aerophilic atmosphere (Oxoid Campylobacter Gas Generating Kit BR0056 or BR0060 or CampyGen CN0025/CN0035).
Staph./Strep. supplemented plates should be incubated aerobically at 35°C for 18 hours. Incubation in carbon dioxide- enriched air will cause inhibition of staphylococcal growth.
Streptococcus Selective Supplement SR0126 supplemented plates may be incubated aerobically or anaerobically at 35°C for 18 hours.
Prepared plates of both supplemented media should be used within 18 hours of preparation for maximum selectivity. Gardnerella supplemented plates should be incubated at 35°C for 48 hours in an atmosphere containing 7% carbon dioxide.
Carry out confirmatory tests on all colonies from horse blood medium and on beta-haemolytic colonies from human or rabbit blood medium.
Incubate plates of Clostridium E-Y Agar anaerobically at 35°C for 18 hours, look for lecithinase activity (pearly layer) and for proteolysis. Lecithinase activity is inhibited in the presence of specific anti-toxin.

Grow and maintain aerobic and anaerobic organisms with Thermo Scientific™ Oxoid™ Cooked Meat Medium (Dehydrated). The medium contains heart tissue, beef extracts, peptone and glucose for the cultivation of anaerobic and aerobic organisms. It has the ability to initiate bacterial growth from very small inocula and to maintain the viability of cultures over long periods of time1. Mixed cultures of bacteria survive in Cooked Meat Medium without displacing the slower growing organisms.

Cooked Meat Medium, Oxoid Composition

Cooked Meat Medium, Oxoid Preparation:
Suspend 10g in 100ml of distilled water (or 1g amounts in 10ml volumes of water in tubes). Allow to stand for 15 minutes until the meat particles are thoroughly wetted. Sterilise by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes. Do not cool the bottles rapidly because ebullition will expel the meat particles from the containers.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared medium at room temperature, in the dark with tightened caps for up to 6 months.

Precautions
The excellent recovery properties of Cooked Meat Medium mean that mixed cultures commonly result from sample inoculation.
Blackening of the medium will not take place if the pH is acid.
Carbohydrate fermentation may inhibit proteolysis.

Oxoid Corn Meal Agar Mycological medium is used for identification of Candida albicans and maintenance of fungal stock cultures.

Corn Meal Agar, Oxoid Composition

Corn Meal Agar, Oxoid Preparation:
Suspend 17g in 1 litre of distilled water. Bring to the boil to dissolve completely. Sterilise by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared medium at 2-8°C.

Precautions
Glucose supplemented Corn Meal Agar should not be used for chlamydospore production.
Corn Meal Agar with `Tween 80’ (or other wetting agents) will allow Candida stellatoides and Candida tropicalis to produce chlamydospores.
Some Candida strains lose their ability to produce chlamydospores after repeated subculturing.

• Oxoid Cefixime Rhamnose Sorbitol MacConkey Agar Base (CR-SMAC) is a selective and differential medium containing rhamnose and cefixime for the isolation of E. coli O157.
• Also available Cefixime Supplement, Part No. SR0191E.

CR-SMAC Agar Base, Oxoid Composition

CR-SMAC Agar, Oxoid Preparation:
Suspend 28.25g in 500ml of distilled water. Mix well and sterilise by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes. Cool to approximately 50°C and aseptically add the contents of one vial of Cefixime Supplement SR0191, reconstituted as directed. Mix well and pour into sterile Petri dishes.
To reconstitute Cefixime Supplement, aseptically add 2ml sterile distilled water to 1 vial of supplement. Mix gently to dissolve.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared medium for up to 2 weeks at 2-8°C.

• Oxoid Cronobacter Screening Broth Base (CSB) is a selective enrichment broth for isolation of Cronobacter spp, from food and environmental samples.
• Requires Vancomycin Supplement, 5mg, Part No. SR0247E.

Cronobacter Screening Broth Base (CSB), Oxoid Composition

Cronobacter Screening Broth (CSB), Oxoid Preparation:
Dissolve 14.02g in 500ml of distilled water. Sterilize by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes. Cool to approximately 50°C, and aseptically add the contents of 1 vial of Vancomycin Supplement (5mg) (SR0247E) reconstituted as directed. Mix well and aseptically dispense into sterile containers.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label
Store the prepared medium at 2-8°C

A simple medium originally described by Crossley for the routine examination of canned food samples for anaerobic bacteria, this medium has evolved as the result of comparative trials carried out by Crossley with several standard media. It is capable of giving rapid growth without the use of special anaerobic apparatus, yet the bacteria detected may be provisionally identified by their reactions upon the medium.

Crossley milk medium, Oxoid Composition

Crossley milk medium, Oxoid Preparation:
Cream 110g of the powder with a little distilled water and gradually dilute to 1 litre with continuous mixing. Tube in 10ml quantities and autoclave at 121°C for 5 minutes.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared medium at 2-8°C.

• Oxoid Cycloheximide Solution (0.1%) (100mg/vial) is used for the suppression of fungi.
• Add to Bacillus Cereus Selective Agar Base, Part No. CM0617B; Raka-Ray Agar Base, Part No. CM0777B; and Universal Beer Agar, Part No. CM0651B.

Oxoid Czapek Dox Agar Modified is used for cultivation of fungi.

Czapek Dox Agar Modified, Oxoid Composition

Czapek Dox Agar Modified, Oxoid Preparation:
Suspend 45.4g in 1 litre of distilled water. Bring to the boil to dissolve completely. Sterilise by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes. Mix well before pouring. If required, adjust the reaction to pH 3.5 ± 0.2 by adding 10ml of Lactic Acid 10% (SR0021) per litre after sterilisation.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store the dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared agar plates at 2-8°C.

Oxoid Czapek Dox Liquid Medium is used for cultivation of fungi.

Czapek Dox Liquid Medium, Oxoid Composition

Czapek Dox Liquid Medium, Oxoid Preparation:
Add 33.4g to 1 litre of distilled water. Mix well and distribute into final containers. Sterilise by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes.

Storage conditions and Shelf life
Store dehydrated medium at 10-30°C and use before the expiry date on the label.
Store the prepared agar plates at 2-8°C.
Store tubes of broth at 15-25°C.