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23: Eosin Methylene Blue Agar (EMB)

  • Page ID
    3651
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    Learning Objectives

    • To learn about the EMB agar
    • Observe changes in EMB after bacterial growth

    EMB

    EMB is a selective, differential agar medium used for isolation of gram negative rods in a variety of specimen types. It is used frequently in clinical laboratories.

    Agents of EMB

    The selective/ inhibitory agents of EMB are the dyes eosin Y and methylene blue. Methylene blue inhibits the gram + bacteria (eosin to a lesser extent), while eosin changes color, to a dark purple, when the medium around the colony becomes acidic.

    EMB contents

    EMB contains lactose and sucrose sugars, but it is the lactose that is the key to the medium. Lactose-fermenting bacteria (E. coli and other coliforms) produce acid from lactose use, and the combination of the dyes (which serve as pH indicators in this medium) produces color variations in the colonies because of the acidity. Strong acidity produces a deep purple colony with a green metallic sheen, whereas less acidity may produce a brown-pink coloration of colony. Nonlactose fermenters appear as translucent or pink.

    emb1.png emb2.png

    Lactose-fermenter (E. coli) nonfermenter

    emb3.png emb4.png

    plate at left enlarged

    Various stages of bacterial formation in EMB

    Colonies of lactose fermenters will appear very dark purple, or have dark purple centers.

    SOME bacteria gram + bacteria may grow--although not well--particularly if you let cultures sit for more than a couple of days. Usually those species will show as pinpoint colonies.

    Contributors and Attributions


    This page titled 23: Eosin Methylene Blue Agar (EMB) is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jackie Reynolds.

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