What Types of Incubation Do We Offer?
With various options for incubation, making sure your pharmacy or business is doing the right thing can be confusing. LAB 797 is here to help and make your sampling as easy and efficient as possible. Incubation refers to a process used to promote the growth and development of an organism. In this case, incubation is needed for any bacteria, mold, or yeasts to grow on the media. Special laboratory devices called incubators control temperature to promote growth of these organisms. There are four main types of incubation as described below.
Incubation
Standard Incubation @ 30-35 C: This temperature promotes the growth of common bacteria found in the environment and on people such as Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., and Staphylococcus sp. This incubation is done over a period of three to four days at the temperature of 30-35 C. Common media types used for this type of incubation include Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) and Blood Agar.
Standard Incubation @ 20-25 C: This temperature promotes the growth of common molds and yeasts found in the environment and on people, such as Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Candida sp. This incubation is done over a period of six to seven days at the temperature of 20-25 C. Common media types used for this type of incubation include Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA).
Dual Incubation @ 30-35 C, then @ 20-25 C: By incubating media at both temperatures, we allow for growth of bacteria, molds, and yeasts. This is usually done if only one media type (usually Tryptic Soy Agar) is desired. Media is incubated first at 30-35 C for a period of three to four days, then transferred to 20-25 C for a period of six to seven days.
Dual Incubation @ 20-25 C, then @ 30-35 C: This incubation is done only for Media Fill samples. Samples are incubated at 20-25 C for a period of seven days, then transferred to 30-35 C for a period of seven days.
Once incubation is completed, colonies of bacteria, yeasts, and molds are counted and then identified. These results are sent back to your pharmacy or business once incubation is completed and samples are analyzed.