R2A Agar (Dehydrated)

Enumerate heterotrophic bacteria from drinking water samples with Thermo Scientific™ Oxoid™ R2A Agar (Dehydrated). This nutritionally reduced medium was specially designed to enhance the recovery of stressed and chlorine damaged bacteria from treated water samples. Stressed or injured organisms during water treatment are unable to grow on high nutrient media since faster-growing organisms outgrow the former. Therefore the use of a low nutrient medium like R2A Agar incubated for longer incubation periods allows these stressed organisms to grow well.

Standard methods for the enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria in water have traditionally used nutritionally rich media, such as Plate Count Agar, with incubation at 35°C¹. Organisms isolated under these conditions may represent only a small percentage of the bacteria present in the sample².

R2A Agar aids recovery of stressed and damaged bacteria giving more realistic colony count as compared to traditional media.

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Remel™ and Oxoid™ products are now part of the Thermo Scientific brand.