R2A Agar – HX-MEDIA

Product Overview

R2A Agar is a low-nutrient, non-selective culture medium specifically formulated for the isolation and enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria from potable water, treated water, and environmental samples. Its reduced nutrient composition supports the growth of slow-growing and stressed microorganisms that may not grow well on rich media.

The medium encourages the recovery of bacteria present in low-nutrient environments, making it particularly suitable for monitoring water quality and microbial load. It is commonly used for heterotrophic plate count (HPC) testing in drinking water systems.

R2A Agar supports the growth of a wide range of microorganisms, including environmental bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Aeromonas. Colonies typically develop slowly, often requiring extended incubation for accurate enumeration.

This medium is widely used in water testing laboratories, environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical industries, and research facilities. R2A Agar provides enhanced recovery of stressed organisms, accurate microbial counts, and reliable results, making it essential for routine water microbiology analysis.

🔬 Key Features

• Supports recovery of stressed, slow-growing water bacteria

• Low-nutrient medium ideal for heterotrophic counts

• Promotes colony development with extended incubation

• Suitable for routine water quality monitoring

🎯 Applications

• Heterotrophic counts in drinking and bottled water, Monitoring treated water systems

• Recovery of chlorine-stressed, slow-growing bacteria, Environmental water quality testing

🧪 Composition (Typical)

• Yeast Extract: 0.5 g/L

• Proteose Peptone: 0.5 g/L

• Casein Hydrolysate: 0.5 g/L

• Glucose: 0.5 g/L

• Soluble Starch: 0.5 g/L

• Sodium Pyruvate: 0.3 g/L

• Dipotassium Phosphate: 0.3 g/L

• Magnesium Sulfate: 0.05 g/L

• Agar: 15.0 g/L

🛠️ How to Use

1. Prepare and sterilize the medium; pour plates.

2. Inoculate by spread, pour, or membrane filtration.

3. Incubate at 20–28°C for 5–7 days.

4. Count colonies for heterotrophic plate count.

⏳Storage and Shelf Life

• Store dehydrated medium below 30°C, dry and protected from light.

• Keep container tightly closed.

• Use before expiry; prepared plates store at 2–8°C for 1–2 weeks.

👍 Ideal For

✔ Water testing labs

✔ Environmental monitoring

✔ Bottled water QC

✔ Research on low-nutrient bacteria