BD has developed an innovative line of media that incorporates carefully selected synthetic chromogenic and/or fluorogenic substrates.

These substrates have been added to primary selective and nonselective media permitting enumeration, detection, presumptive identification and in some media identification directly on the isolation plate.

Chromogenic substrates are colorless and, when cleaved by specific enzymes, are oxidized producing a characteristic color. The detection of a specific enzyme or enzymes can be used to identify genus, species, or groups of organisms.

Colonies of organisms with the enzyme are a distinct color, providing easy recognition. This novel technology has been shown to provide improved accuracy and faster detection than other traditional primary culture media. Depending on the media type and organism, identification may be accomplished without the need for confirmatory testing, subculturing, or supplemental biochemical or latex testing, leading to more efficient use of technologist time and earlier reporting of final results.