Created by
Paul A. Gulig, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
with assistance from
David Brumbaugh
1. What is the first thing you are going to do with your cultures?
B. Streak for isolation on MacConkey agar and blood agar
Yes, this will enable you to identify the different bacterial types by their colony characteristics. Blood agar is commonly used to enable most bacteria to grow - it is a rich medium. Plus you can tell something about the bacteria by the way the colonies affect the red blood cells (see hemolysis). The MacConkey agar is selective for certain types of bacteria and differential because it also lets you see something about the biochemical characteristics of the bacteria that grow on the plates.