General-purpose media · Basic agar
Nutrient Agar – basic agar for non-fastidious bacteria
Nutrient Agar is a simple, all-round medium for the cultivation of non-fastidious bacteria. It is used for subculture, purity checks, colony counts in teaching and for the maintenance of stock cultures in food, water and pharmaceutical laboratories.
- Basic agar for non-fastidious bacteria
- Subculture, purity checks and stock cultures
- Easy to prepare: 32 g/L
How Nutrient Agar works
Peptone and beef extract provide nitrogen, vitamins and minerals, and agar solidifies the medium. Because it contains no inhibitors or indicators, Nutrient Agar shows the natural colony form and pigment of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (yellow) or Bacillus species.
Typical colony appearance
| Organism | Colonies |
| Escherichia coli | Grey-white colonies |
| Staphylococcus aureus | Yellow colonies |
| Bacillus subtilis | Grey-white, dry colonies |
Technical data
| Preparation | 32 g/L; boil to dissolve, dispense, autoclave 121 °C 15 min |
| Final pH | 7.2 ± 0.2 |
| Incubation | 30–35 °C, 24 h |
| Storage | Dry, dark place; keep the container tightly closed |
| Shelf life | 3 years unopened |
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 Nutrient Agar: Pour plates at about 45–50 °C and dry the surface briefly before streaking so that colonies stay separate.
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.
Nutrient 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 Nutrient Agar, please send us a request. With every delivery of Nutrient Agar you receive the lot number and expiry date, and on request we send the available documentation for Nutrient Agar.
Where Nutrient 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrient Agar | PRO7433 | 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
COLO LabExperts
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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.
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.
