The fourth edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media includes
the formulations and descriptions of 7,080 media used for cultivating
microorganisms—more than 1500 more than in the previous edition.
These include both classic and modern media used for the identification,
cultivation, and maintenance of diverse bacteria, archaea, and
fungi. Some of these microbiological media are produced by major suppliers
of dehydrated media—including Oxoid, HiMedia, and BD Diagnostics
(Difco, BBL, and GIBCO). These include all the media normally
used in the clinical microbiology diagnostic laboratory and for the
routine examination of food and water. Other media described in the
fourth edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media are used to
cultivate specific strains of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists, including
many anaerobes and extremophiles. The fourth edition of the Handbook
of Microbiological Media includes the media needed to cultivate
the numerous microorganisms currently available from the world’s
global bioresource centers (BRCs).