Columbia agar

The high-quality Columbia Agar (Ellner et al.1966) can be used for the cultivation of demanding microorganisms as well as a basic agar for the production of various special nutrient media (e.g. blood agar or cooked blood agar ("chocolate agar"). Such special agars are recommended for the cultivation of Gardnerella vaginalis. The culture medium is also suitable for the cultivation of mycoplasma strains.

Preparation of cooked blood agar: add 10 ml of blood to 90 ml of sterile basic nutrient medium and heat the mixture in a water bath for about 10 minutes at about 80 °C, while constantly stirring, until the medium takes on a chocolate brown colour. Then pour plates.

1. Ellner PD et al (1958) A newculture medium for medical bacteriology. Amer J Clin Path 29: 181-183
2. KunzeM (1971) COLUMBIA agar base substrate as a culture medium for mycoplasmas. Zbl Bact 216: 271-272