Pseudomonas aeruginosa · Confirmation
Acetamide Agar – acetamide utilisation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Acetamide Agar is a medium for the selective cultivation and confirmation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can use acetamide as its only source of carbon and nitrogen.
- Acetamide as the only C and N source
- Phenol red indicator
- For P. aeruginosa
How Acetamide Agar works
P. aeruginosa deamidates acetamide and releases ammonia, which raises the pH and turns the phenol red indicator pink to red. Most other bacteria cannot grow on acetamide.
Typical results
| Organism | Reaction |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Growth, medium turns pink to red |
Technical data
| Final pH | 7.2 ± 0.2 |
| Storage | Cool, dry place away from bright light; keep the container tightly closed |
| Shelf life | 3 years |
Applications and practical notes
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is tested in drinking, bottled and pool water and in non-sterile products, for example according to ISO 16266. Typical applications include:
- Drinking, bottled and mineral water
- Swimming pool and spa water
- Pharmaceutical and cosmetic products
- Confirmation of typical colonies
Working with Acetamide Agar: Inoculate from a pure colony and confirm ammonia production with Nessler reagent where the method requires it.
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 the Pseudomonas methods: ISO 16266 describes the detection and enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water by membrane filtration on CN agar, where blue-green colonies that produce pyocyanin are counted as confirmed and other typical colonies are confirmed with further tests. ISO 13720 gives the count of presumptive Pseudomonas spp. in meat and meat products on CFC agar at 25 °C. Pharmacopoeial tests for P. aeruginosa use Cetrimide Agar. COLO.Science offers media, supplements, rapid tests and QC strains for these methods.
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.
Acetamide 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 Acetamide Agar, please send us a request. With every delivery of Acetamide Agar you receive the lot number and expiry date, and on request we send the available documentation for Acetamide Agar.
Where Acetamide Agar fits in Pseudomonas testing
- Water – P. aeruginosa – membrane filtration on CN agar (Pseudomonas Agar Base with CN supplement), 36 °C, 44 h
- Food – Pseudomonas spp. – CFC agar (Pseudomonas Agar Base with CFC supplement), 25 °C, 44 h
- Isolation and screening – Pseudomonas Chromogenic Medium and Cetrimide Agar
- Confirmation and QC – qPCR or LAMP and P. aeruginosa reference strains
See all Pseudomonas products in the Microbiology Catalogue →
Ordering information
| Product | COLO code | Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Acetamide Agar | PRO8178 | 100 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
COLO LabExperts
Polje ob Sotli 4, SI-3255, Slovenia
Quotations and technical support for culture media and microbiology products across our international sales territory. B2B prices are net, excluding VAT.
COLO.SCIENCE | MICROBIOLOGY SUPPORT
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.




