Product description
Product Name: Nutrient Agar (NA) Dehydrated Culture Medium
Key Features and Specifications
Product Summary
Nutrient Agar (NA) is one of the most fundamental and universally used culture media in the Biochemical / Life Sciences and microbiology sectors. It is a basal medium, meaning it provides the basic nutritional requirements necessary to support the growth of a broad spectrum of non-fastidious (non-picky) microorganisms.
It’s simple formulation—primarily water, a protein digest source (peptone), beef extract, and agar—makes it the standard choice for routine subculturing, plate counting, and the storage of bacterial strains. It is a non-selective medium, allowing almost all bacteria present in a sample to grow, making it ideal for initial screening and enumeration studies.
Primary Applications
Microbiology & Bacteriology:
General Cultivation: Used for the routine growth and maintenance of common bacterial strains (e.g., E. coli, B. subtilis).
Enumeration/Plate Counting: Essential for determining the total number of viable microorganisms in a sample (e.g., food, water, air) using the standard plate count method.
Sample Isolation: Initial streaking of environmental, clinical, or food samples to obtain isolated colonies for further characterization.
Quality Control (QC):
Sterility Testing: Used as a reference medium to confirm the sterility of equipment, media, or products where microbial contamination is a concern.
Educational & Training Laboratories:
Due to its broad applicability and simple preparation, Nutrient Agar is the medium of choice for introductory microbiology experiments and student training.
Preparation and Use
Convenience: Supplied as a dehydrated powder, requiring only the addition of purified water and sterilization by autoclaving before being poured into Petri dishes or dispensed into tubes.
Storage: Dehydrated media should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place to maximize shelf life. Poured plates should be stored refrigerated (2-8°C) to maintain moisture.
Customization: Nutrient Agar can be supplemented with specific additives (e.g., blood, specialized sugars, or selective agents) to create enriched or selective media for more specialized microbial studies.
