• Bile Esculin Agar (Contains 40% Bile)

Selective media for Enterococcus species (Black coloration of the medium)

• Blood Agar

· Enriched media (Supports the growth of fastidious organisms (e.g. Streptococcus)

· Indicator media to show hemolytic properties of certain organisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, S. agalactiae = beta-hemolytic; Streptococcus pneumonia and Streptococcal viridans group = alpha-Hemolytic; Enterococcus = Non-Hemolytic (gamma-hemolytic)

• Bordet-Gengou Agar
• Regan-Lowe Medium (Charcoal Agar with blood, cephalexin and Amphotericin B)

Isolation of Bordetella pertussis

• Buffered Charcoal Yeast Agar (BCYA)

Specialized media for isolation of Legionella and Nocardia

• Chocolate Agar (Heated Blood Agar)

Growth of fastidious organisms (e.g. Hemophilus influenzae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and S. pneumoniae)

• CIN Agar (Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin Agar)

A selective and differential medium for the isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica (bull’s eye appearance)

• Egg Yolk Agar

Detection of lipase and lecithinase activity of Clostridium species

• Elek plate
• Loeffler Serum Slope
• Tinsdale Medium

Detection of diphtheria toxin production by C. diphtheriae

Stimulates metachromatic granules in Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Selective media for isolation of Corynebacterium from throat swabs

Media

Uses

• Lowenstein-Jensen Medium
• Middlebrook Media

Selective media for isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum and other samples

• MacConkey Agar

Differential media for Enterobacteriacaeae (i.e., lactose fermenting and non-lactose fermenting)

• Hektoen Enteric Agar
• Salmonella–Shigella (S-S) Agar

Differential and selective media for isolation of Salmonella and Shigella from stool specimens (note other gram-negative rods like E. coli grow on these media)

• Mannitol Salt Agar

Selective and differential media for S. aureus (high salt selects for Staphylococcus spp.; S. aureus ferments mannitol)

• Mueller-Hinton Agar

Medium used for antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria

• PPLO Medium (Contains Sterol)
• Eaton’s Agar

Specialized media for growth of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

• Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SAB)

Selects for growth of fungi (yeasts and molds)

• Requirements of X (hemin) and V (NAD) Factors in Blood agar

Isolation of Haemophilus influenzae

• Skirrow’s Campylobacter Medium (contains polymixin B, trimethoprim, vancomycin)
• Campy Blood Agar
• CVA Medium (contains cefoperazone, vancomycin, amphotericin)

Selective media for Campylobacter jejuni

Media

Uses

• Sorbitol-MacConkey Agar

Isolation of shiga toxin-producing (enterohemorrhagic) E. coli of 0157 type (it does NOT ferment D-sorbitol)

• Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts-Sucrose Agar (TCBS)

Selective media for V. cholerae

• Thayer-Martin Medium (chocolate plate with vancomycin, colistin, nystatin)
• Modified New York City Medium (contains colistin, lincomycin, trimethoprim, amphotericin B)Modified New York City Medium (contains colistin, lincomycin, trimethoprim, amphotericin B)

Selective media for Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• Triple Sugar Iron Agar (TSI) Medium

Differentiation of various members of the Enterobacteriaceae (glucose, lactose, sucrose fermentation, gas production and H₂S gas production)