Product range

An extensive range of commonly used buffers, bacteriological and yeast media, cell culture, antibiotics, amino acid solutions and associated products are routinely prepared and are available as stock items. If products/solutions you or your lab use frequently are not listed in our catalogue (available from the Media Prep Room), please contact us to discuss potential additions to our range.

Sterile filtration

When autoclaving is not the preferred method of sterilisation, the Media Preparation Lab has facilities to filter sterilise large volumes of media, using a positive-pressure filtration system.

The service can filter sterilise up to 20 litres of media at a time, in aliquots ranging from 10, 20, 100, 200, 400 and 800 ml routinely. If you require different sized aliquots, this can easily be accommodated.

Plate pouring

Automated plate pouring equipment allows the production of up to 600 standard 90 mm agar plates per hour. A range of commonly used plates are always available as stock items. Bespoke and custom prepared plates can be manufactured upon request, at varying thicknesses, if required.

Note: when requesting plates, we generally pour in multiples of 30. We also have facilities to pour 60 mm petri dishes. Alternatively, agar can be prepared and kept molten for you to pour different sized plates yourself.

Water

The preparation of all products (unless otherwise requested) begins with UV treated 0.2µm filtered high purity, type 1 pharmaceutical grade 18 MΩ-cm Super-Q water.

Quality control

The Media Preparation Service has an on-going commitment to producing high-quality and trusted products, with all media being fully traceable. This is supported by regular checks and calibration of equipment used within the facility. This includes periodic external validation of autoclaves, balances and pipettors. In addition:

• Filter sterilised products
  Prior to use, multiple samples from each batch are combined with bacteriological broths and incubated to confirm the sample is free from aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, yeast and fungal contamination. After a 10 day test-period, media is passed and released for use.
• Autoclaved products
  Sterility of autoclaved media and buffers is confirmed by the use of biological indicators during the autoclaving process.

Customised media

Over 300+ types of media are currently produced annually. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Media locations:

• The Media Preparation Service is based at our Gibbet Hill Campus, Room M021 (near to the School of Life Sciences Reception, adjacent to the Atrium).
• Buffers and solutions stored at ambient temperatures e.g. PBS, TBE x 5, TBS x 10, TBS/Tween x 10, TAE x 50 and Tris/HCL are located on the First floor of the BMRI building, on shelves to the rear of Work Room M101.
• Bacteriological and Cell Culture media is located in Cold Room M020, adjacent to the Atrium and opposite to the Media Preparation Lab M021.
• Antibiotics and Cell Culture products are stored in a Freezer Room, located to the rear of Cold Room M020.