Carolina offers microbiological media for laboratory use, including pre-poured media and melt-and-pour bottles.
The biological media you choose for your lab can depend on factors such as budget, time constraints, and availability of refrigerator and autoclave space. We offer biological media options that address those factors and help you maintain cultures in a microbiology classroom.
- Pre-poured media–Using pre-poured plates and tubes saves lab prep time. These ready-to-use media packages are fresh, sterility tested, and come in over 20 varieties. They enable you to provide an entire suite of selective, differential media for your class without having to assemble the ingredients yourself.
- Melt-and-pour bottles–Give your autoclave a break during prep and save money with our melt-and-pour bottles. These pre-sterilized bottles have a long shelf life. Budget friendly, each 125-mL bottle pours five 100-mm plates or 15 to 20 tubes. Over 25 varieties are available. Please contact Customer Service if you don’t see what you need. We can often create custom bottles.1
- Media supplies and ingredients–We also stock high-quality ingredients for just about any media you require. Recipes for many popular biological media can be found by downloading our free guide, Techniques for Studying Bacteria and Fungi.
Carolina’s Media Options
| Media Option | Number of Plates or Tubes | Prep Time | Autoclave Required for Preparation | Shelf Life |
| Pre-Poured Media Plates |
10 plates per package | 5 min | No | Refrigerated, 2 to 3 weeks for most plates |
| Tubes | 10 tubes per package | 5 min | No | Refrigerated, up to 6 months |
| Melt-and-Pour Bottles (125 mL) | 5 plates or 15 to 20 tubes | 75 min | No | At room temperature, up to 6 months |
| Media Supplies and Ingredients | Varies | 120 min | Yes | Varies |
1Minimum 2-week lead time is required for custom orders. Actual lead time may vary.
Additional Resources
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Bacteria and Media Reference Guide
Detailed resource where you can select bacteria name to view all compatible media.
Bacteria Care Guide
Important guidelines and information about the care and handling of your bacteria culture.
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