If the coliforms are Escherichia coli there will be what looks like a metallic green sheen on the colonies.
Mycobacterium phlei is a non-fastidious organism that is commonly found in soil and water. It is not commonly grown on Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar, as EMB agar is more selective for gram-negative enteric bacteria. Instead, Mycobacterium phlei is typically cultured on media specifically designed for mycobacteria, such as Middlebrook agar or Lowenstein-Jensen agar.
EMB agar is useful for the selective isolation of gram-negative bacteria, especially fecal coliforms such as E. coli, from clinical and environmental samples. It is also helpful in differentiating lactose-fermenting bacteria (which produce dark colonies with green metallic sheen) from non-lactose fermenters based on colony color and appearance.
Most gram positive bacteria do not grow on MacConkey agar or Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar, as these are selective media designed to inhibit the growth of gram positive organisms. So, typically, you would not expect a gram positive bacteria to grow on these media.
EMB Agar
The selective agents in EMB (Eosin Methylene Blue) agar are the dyes eosin Y and methylene blue. These dyes inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria while allowing Gram-negative bacteria to grow. Additionally, the medium differentiates between lactose fermenters, which produce acid and may appear purple or metallic green, and non-lactose fermenters, which remain colorless. This makes EMB agar useful for isolating and identifying enteric Gram-negative bacteria.
Escherichia coli is a bacterium that can produce a dark purple color on Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar medium due to its ability to ferment lactose and produce acidic end products. This characteristic color change helps in the differentiation and identification of E. coli from other bacteria.
Eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar is selective for gram-negative bacteria, especially those that can ferment lactose. Common bacteria that grow on EMB agar include Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes. These bacteria are differentiated by their ability to ferment lactose, producing colonies that are metallic green or dark purple on EMB agar.
EMB agar is used for the selective and differential isolation of fecal coliforms, particularly Escherichia coli, in water, milk, and other biological material. It contains lactose, eosin, and methylene blue dyes that inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and help differentiate lactose fermenters (such as E. coli) that produce dark colonies with a greenish metallic sheen.
Eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar is a growth medium that can produce red colonies of Escherichia coli. This medium contains dyes that inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and allow for the detection of lactose fermentation, resulting in the characteristic red colonies of E. coli.
Bacillus bacteria typically do not grow well on Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar because they are gram-positive bacteria. EMB agar is designed to inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria and isolate gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli.
E. coli produces a green color on EMB (Eosin Methylene Blue) agar due to the fermentation of lactose and the production of acid, which leads to a change in the pH of the medium. The methylene blue dye in the agar interacts with the acidic environment created by the fermentation, resulting in a greenish metallic sheen on the colonies. This characteristic color helps differentiate E. coli from other bacteria on the medium.
Mycobacterium phlei is a non-fastidious organism that is commonly found in soil and water. It is not commonly grown on Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar, as EMB agar is more selective for gram-negative enteric bacteria. Instead, Mycobacterium phlei is typically cultured on media specifically designed for mycobacteria, such as Middlebrook agar or Lowenstein-Jensen agar.
Because it releases acid and gas when it ferments the lactose on the plate, which causes a color change of the colony. E. coli is a heavy lactose fermenter. This is similar to how when E. coli is grown on MacConkey agar, the colonies turn bright pink compared to a regular lactose fermenter which turns light pink and a non-lactose fermenter which is cream colored. The acid is causing a drop in pH and a reaction with the dye is occurring.
EMB agar is useful for the selective isolation of gram-negative bacteria, especially fecal coliforms such as E. coli, from clinical and environmental samples. It is also helpful in differentiating lactose-fermenting bacteria (which produce dark colonies with green metallic sheen) from non-lactose fermenters based on colony color and appearance.
In Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar, lactose serves as a fermentable carbohydrate that allows for the differentiation of lactose-fermenting bacteria from non-fermenters. Lactose fermenters, such as Escherichia coli, produce acid during fermentation, resulting in a color change in the medium due to the pH indicators eosin and methylene blue. This leads to the formation of dark purple colonies, while non-fermenters typically produce colorless or light-colored colonies. Thus, lactose in EMB is crucial for identifying and isolating lactose-fermenting enteric bacteria.
Most gram positive bacteria do not grow on MacConkey agar or Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar, as these are selective media designed to inhibit the growth of gram positive organisms. So, typically, you would not expect a gram positive bacteria to grow on these media.
EMB Agar