General-purpose media · Rich agar
Brain Heart Infusion Agar – rich agar for fastidious bacteria
Brain Heart Infusion Agar is a rich, non-selective agar for the cultivation of streptococci, enterococci and other demanding bacteria and fungi. It is also used as a confirmation medium, for example for enterococci in water testing, and as a base for blood agar.
- Rich non-selective agar
- Confirmation of enterococci in water testing
- Can be enriched with blood
How Brain Heart Infusion Agar works
The infusions, peptone and glucose provide energy and growth factors, and the buffer limits pH changes. With 5–10 % blood the medium becomes a blood agar for haemolysis reading.
Typical colony appearance
| Organism | Colonies |
| Enterococcus faecalis | Grey-white colonies |
| β-haemolytic streptococci | Small grey-white colonies |
| Escherichia coli | Grey-white colonies |
Technical data
| Preparation | 52 g/L; boil to dissolve, dispense, autoclave 121 °C 15 min |
| Final pH | 7.4 ± 0.2 |
| Incubation | 35–37 °C, 18–24 h |
| Storage | Dry, dark place; keep the container tightly closed |
| Shelf life | 3 years |
Applications and practical notes
General-purpose media are the basic tools of every microbiology laboratory. They grow a wide range of non-fastidious bacteria and are used for revival of cultures, purity checks and the maintenance of reference strains, whose performance is verified according to ISO 11133. Typical applications include:
- Cultivation of non-fastidious bacteria
- Revival and maintenance of reference strains
- Purity checks and subculture
- Teaching and routine laboratory work
Working with Brain Heart Infusion Agar: Pour the plates in an even layer and store them in the dark at 2–8 °C, protected from drying.
Good practice with dehydrated media: keep the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place, weigh the powder quickly to avoid moisture uptake, and use fresh distilled or deionised water. Check the pH of each new batch after preparation and before use, and label prepared media with the date. Performance of each lot can be verified with reference strains according to ISO 11133, the standard for the preparation, production, storage and performance testing of culture media.
About general-purpose media: general-purpose media are not tied to one reference method. They are used in every laboratory for cultivation, revival of reference strains, purity checks and as bases for enriched and test media. Their performance is verified with reference strains according to ISO 11133, and media for susceptibility testing follow the requirements of EUCAST and CLSI. COLO.Science offers general media, enriched bases, supplements and QC strains from one source.
Complete sets from one supplier: COLO.Science supplies culture media, supplements, rapid tests, identification kits and QC strains as complete sets for the method you follow. Send us your sample types and standards, and we will prepare an offer with the matching products and documentation.
Brain Heart Infusion Agar is supplied by COLO.Science in the pack sizes listed under Ordering information. For larger quantities, regular deliveries or method-specific sets that include Brain Heart Infusion Agar, please send us a request. With every delivery of Brain Heart Infusion Agar you receive the lot number and expiry date, and on request we send the available documentation for Brain Heart Infusion Agar.
Where Brain Heart Infusion Agar fits in general microbiology
- Sample preparation – Peptone Water, Phosphate Buffer and other diluents
- Cultivation and revival – Nutrient, BHI and Columbia media
- Fastidious organisms – blood, chocolate and GC media with supplements
- Testing and identification – Mueller Hinton for susceptibility, CLED and chromogenic agar for urine, biochemical tests
See all general-purpose media in the Microbiology Catalogue →
Ordering information
| Product | COLO code | Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Brain Heart Infusion Agar (BHI Agar) | PRO7488 | 500 g |
Product notice: preparation, storage conditions and shelf life are given on the label. Technical data on this page are for orientation; the label and the lot documentation apply. B2B prices are quoted net, excluding VAT.
Sales and technical support
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Quotations and technical support for culture media and microbiology products across our international sales territory. B2B prices are net, excluding VAT.
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Need the complete set for your method?
Send the sample type, target organism and the standard you follow. COLO.Science will put together the media, supplements, QC strains and confirmation tests for the whole procedure.
