What is the difference between prepared bacteria media and the dry agar powder?
Prepared media has already been cooked, dispensed into tubes or plates, and then sterilized. It is ready to use. It should be kept refrigerated until use. Then all you need to do is inoculate with your bacteria sample. Agar powder is the dehydrated form. It does not need to be refrigerated until you make it into the gel. Most agar is available in a dehydrated powdered form, though Nasco does offer several prepared gel types. When powdered agar is prepared, it resembles clear gelatin. Each type of bacteria or fungi has its own preferred food and optimal temperature. Customers should consult their experimental protocol or lab manual to determine what type they need.
