CHAP 3 (PART II)

METHODS OF ISOLATING PURE

CULTURE

Mix culture (TSA) E. Coli (TSA) E. Coli (EMBA)

SQG 3323
DR. SHAFINAZ SHAHIR
 SELECTIVE CULTURE TECHNIQUE

1. Selective Culture Technique

 Selectivity of a growth medium may be enhanced by the

incorporation of specific inhibitors.
 Solid media that incorporate inhibitors → selective media.

Example 1 – Isolation of fecal pathogens

» Primary selective agar: Mac Conkey agar
» Medium contains bile acid inhibit non-enteric
bacteria
 SELECTIVE CULTURE TECHNIQUE

Example 2 – Isolation of bacteria producing enzyme

Medium + inducer

Medium + starch → amylolytic enzyme

Medium + pectin → pectinolytic enzyme

Only certain bacteria able to produce amylolytic enzyme &

pectinolytic enzyme can survive on plate containing starch &
pectin, respectively.
 DIFFERENTIAL MEDIA

Differential Medium

 Contains indicators that permit the recognition of

microorganism with particular metabolic activity.

 Differential media contains ingredients that allow different

microorganisms to look reproducibly different
E.g.: pH indicator → acidic metabolite

** Confusingly many media employed in microbiological

laboratories are both differential and selective. What does this
mean?
 DIFFERENTIAL & SELECTIVE?

• That is, many media both inhibit the growth of

certain microorganisms while making those
organisms that it allows to grow produce
easily differentiated colony morphologies

• See link file Differential and Selective