HardyCHROM™ CRE Agar is a selective and differential chromogenic medium, containing a carbapenem, intended for use as a plating technique to obtain a pure culture of gram-negative bacteria that produce carbapenemase.
The selective components in HardyCHROM™ CRE Agar are agents that inhibit the growth of yeast, gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative carbapenem-sensitive bacteria (e.g., a carbapenem). The presence of chromogens allows the differentiation of gram-negative bacteria that produce carbapenemase. The colonies of those bacteria that release products when they use the chromogens as a substrate source appear colored.
Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Serratia spp. produce large, dark blue colonies.
This media is to be stored and incubated in the dark. If you have a light in your refrigerator, incubator, or you leave the media exposed to light on the bench top, Hardy Diagnostics offers free Blok-Boxes. Blok-Box is a reusable cardboard box that holds one sleeve of ten petri plates.