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MICROBIOLOGY LAB INSTRUMENTS
MICROSCOPE
Principle: Magnification using objective & ocular
lenses with light
Uses:
• Study of stained smears
• Motility demonstration
AUTOCLAVE
Principle: Moist heat sterilization under pressure
(121°C, 15 psi)
Uses:
• Sterilization of culture media
• Sterilization of instruments
HOT AIR OVEN
Principle: Dry heat sterilization by oxidation
Uses:
• Sterilization of glassware
• Sterilization of powders and oils
INCUBATOR
Principle: Maintains constant optimal temperature
Uses:
• Growth of bacteria
• Growth of fungi
LAMINAR AIR FLOW
Principle: HEPA-filtered unidirectional airflow
Uses:
• Aseptic media pouring
• Inoculation of specimens
CENTRIFUGE
Principle: Separation by centrifugal force based on
density
Uses:
• Serum separation
• Urine sediment examination
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ANAEROBIC JAR
Principle: Removal of oxygen using catalyst
Uses:
• Culture of anaerobes
• Clostridium growth
COLONY COUNTER
Principle: Magnification and illumination of
colonies
Uses:
• Colony counting
• CFU calculation
pH METER
Principle: Measurement of hydrogen ion
concentration
Uses:
• Media pH adjustment
• Biochemical tests
WATER BATH
Principle: Uniform temperature maintenance
using water
Uses:
• Serological tests
• Melting agar
SPECTROPHOTOMETER
Principle: Beer-Lambert law of light absorption
Uses:
• Measure bacterial growth
• Biochemical estimations
BUNSEN BURNER
Principle: Flame sterilization by heat
Uses:
• Sterilizing inoculating loop
• Heat fixing smears
INOCULATING LOOP
Principle: Rapid heating and cooling of nichrome
wire
Uses:
• Streaking agar plates
• Picking colonies
REFRIGERATOR
Principle: Low temperature inhibits bacterial
metabolism
Uses:
• Storage of media
• Storage of reagents
BIOSAFETY CABINET
Principle: HEPA filtration with negative pressure
Uses:
• Handling pathogenic organisms
• Virology work
CULTURE MEDIA
NUTRIENT AGAR
Principle: Basal medium with peptone and meat extract
Uses:
• Growth of non-fastidious bacteria
• Base for enriched media
BLOOD AGAR
Principle: Enriched medium with 5–10% blood
Uses:
• Growth of Streptococci
• Demonstration of hemolysis
CHOCOLATE AGAR
Principle: Heated blood releases factor X & V
Uses:
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Neisseria species
MACCONKEY AGAR
Principle: Selective & differential for lactose fermentation
Uses:
• Enterobacteriaceae isolation
• LF vs NLF differentiation
CLED AGAR
Principle: Electrolyte-deficient medium
Uses:
• Urine culture
• Prevents Proteus swarming
LOWENSTEIN–JENSEN
Principle: Egg-based medium with malachite green
Uses:
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Drug sensitivity testing
TCBS AGAR (thiosulphate-citrate Bise-sark)
Principle: High pH selective medium
Uses:
• Vibrio cholerae
• Vibrio differentiation
SELENITE F BROTH
Principle: Inhibits coliforms, enriches pathogens
Uses:
• Salmonella isolation
• Shigella isolation
ALKALINE PEPTONE WATER
Principle: High pH enrichment medium
Uses:
• Vibrio enrichment
• Stool culture
ROBERTSON COOKED MEAT
Principle: Anaerobic conditions by meat particles
Uses:
• Anaerobic culture
• Stock culture preservation
THAYER MARTIN AGAR
Principle: Selective chocolate agar with antibiotics
Uses:
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae
• Mixed flora samples
TELLURITE BLOOD AGAR
Principle: Tellurite reduction to metallic tellurium
Uses:
• Corynebacterium diphtheriae
• Black colony identification
SABOURAUD DEXTROSE AGAR
Principle: Acidic pH favors fungi
Uses:
• Fungal isolation
• Yeast culture
CARY BLAIR MEDIUM
Principle: Buffered transport medium
Uses:
• Transport of stool samples
• Enteric pathogens
Spotting
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Real-spotters for Identifications
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