Introduction

Overview The third edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media includes the formulations and descriptions of nearly 5,500 media used for cultivating diverse microorganisms-over 725 more than in the previous edition. These include both classic and modern media used for the identification, cultivation, and maintenance of diverse bacteria. Some of these microbiological media are produced by major suppliers of dehydrated media-including Oxoid and BD Diagnostics, which acquired Difco, BBL, and GIBCO. These include all the media normally used in the clinical microbiology diagnostic laboratory and for the routine examination of food and water. Other media described in the third edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media are used to cultivate specific strains of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists, including diverse anaerobes and extremophiles. The third edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media includes all the media needed to cultivate the microorganisms currently available from the world’s global bioresource centers (BRCs). The breadth of culture media in this comprehensive resource is enormous.