Pfizer Enterococcus Selective Agar (PSE Agar) - BioReagent

Cat. No.: P1528682

QUALITÄT & REINHEIT BioReagent

Storage

Room temperature

Shipped In

Normal

Übersicht

For selective isolation of Enterococcus faecalis

Spezifikationen

Spezifikationen & Reinheit

BioReagent

Storage

Room temperature

Verschickt in

Normal

Note

BioReagent

Product Line

Biologische Produkte

Application Protocols

General laboratory protocol for preparing selective agar plates (literature/general). Item-specific instructions for this PSE Agar are Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet. Validate and adjust as needed for your laboratory.

• Materials

  • Dehydrated PSE Agar (this product)
  • Purified/deionized water
  • Heat-resistant glassware, magnetic stirrer
  • Autoclave and 0.22 µm filters (if heat-labile supplements are used)
  • Sterile Petri dishes

• Procedure (general)

  1. Weigh dehydrated medium per the label’s recommended g/L (value not provided here).
  2. Add to water, mix thoroughly to disperse. Heat to dissolve if needed.
  3. Sterilize by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 min unless otherwise directed.
  4. Cool to 50–55°C. If required, aseptically add sterile, filter-sterilized selective supplements.
  5. Pour 20–25 mL per 90-mm plate. Allow to solidify on a level surface.
  6. Dry plates (lid ajar in a biosafety cabinet) until surface moisture is minimized. Store at 2–8°C in sealed sleeves if not used immediately.
  7. Inoculate and incubate at 35–37°C for 24–48 h (or per protocol). Examine colony morphology and record CFU.

• Controls

  • Positive control: A reference Enterococcus strain.
  • Negative control: Organisms expected to be inhibited.

Research Use Note: For research use only.

Biological Roles

Context for use (general, literature)

• Target organisms: Enterococcus species (e.g., E. faecalis, E. faecium) are Gram-positive lactic acid bacteria frequently encountered in environmental and food microbiology. Selective media such as PSE Agar are designed to favor their recovery by suppressing competing microflora.

• Basis of selectivity (general)

  • Selective agents typically inhibit respiratory pathways or cell wall synthesis in non-target organisms or exploit enterococci’s tolerance to certain bile salts, pH, or inhibitory ions. The exact inhibitory system for this product is not provided here.

• Research relevance

  • Used to study enterococcal ecology, stress tolerance, and surface colonization traits. Enables isolation of colonies suitable for downstream biochemical assays or molecular identification (e.g., 16S rRNA sequencing, PCR-based typing) in research-only contexts.

• Colony characteristics (literature, general)

  • On selective enterococcal agars, colonies are often small to medium, convex, and may exhibit characteristic coloration if indicators are present. Morphology is formulation- and strain-dependent.

Item-specific biological performance characteristics (e.g., recovery rates, limits of detection): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet and perform in-lab growth-promotion testing.

Buffer Applications

Not typically applicable. This product is a selective agar medium, not a defined buffering system.

• General note: The prepared medium will have a formulation-defined pH and intrinsic buffering from its components, but it is not intended for use as a standalone buffer in biochemical assays. For buffer preparation needs, use defined buffering agents (e.g., phosphate, Tris) according to your experimental requirements.

Green Alternatives

While “green chemistry” frameworks apply primarily to chemical syntheses and solvents, certain sustainability considerations are relevant to microbiological media.

• Media preparation efficiency (general)

  • Prepare only the volume needed to minimize waste of agar and selective agents.
  • Use energy-efficient autoclave cycles validated for your load size. Avoid over-sterilization.

• Alternative formats

  • Ready-to-use plates or media concentrates can reduce energy and water usage if your throughput is low, offsetting the footprint of in-house sterilization. Tradeoff: higher packaging and shipping mass.

• Components sourcing (general)

  • Where possible, select media bases with sustainably sourced agar and peptones. Documentation varies by supplier.

• Waste management

  • Decontaminate used plates via autoclaving and segregate as biohazardous waste. Solidified agar is nonhazardous post-sterilization, but biological content dictates regulated disposal.

Comparison (general considerations)

• In-house PSE Agar vs. alternative selective media for enterococci (literature)
  • Some chromogenic enterococcus agars enable direct differentiation, potentially reducing confirmatory reagent use, but may include specialized dyes. PSE-type media emphasize robust selectivity. Choice depends on downstream analysis, cost, and waste profile.

Item-specific environmental metrics (energy, water, E-factors): Not specified for this item; refer to internal sustainability assessments if required.

Pharmaceutical Uses

No therapeutic or clinical use is intended or supported.

• Research/manufacturing context (general)

  • In pharmaceutical and biotechnology research laboratories, selective agars may be used for environmental monitoring studies, hygiene investigations, or process research related to microbial contaminants in non-clinical settings. Any such use must be validated internally and is outside the scope of this listing.

• Regulatory status

  • Pharmacopeial monographs for specific selective agars may exist in certain compendia, but none are cited for this specific product. Item-specific regulatory/compendial status: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

• Excipient/formulation role

  • Not applicable; this product is not an excipient.

Research Use Note: For research use only.

Physical Properties

Item-specific physico-chemical specifications are not provided for this mixture.

• Appearance (dehydrated): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• pH (prepared medium): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Moisture content, ash, gel strength: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Storage temperature: Room temperature (per Product Data)
• Shipping: Normal (per Product Data)

General properties of dehydrated agar media (literature/general)

• Physical state: Free-flowing powder or granules that dissolve/disperse in water and solidify upon autoclaving and cooling due to agar polysaccharide gelation.
• Solubility: Dispersible in water; not soluble in organic solvents.
• Prepared plate properties: Forms a firm gel at ~1.2–2.0% agar (w/v); gel strength and clarity depend on agar grade and formulation.
• Stability: Stable in the dehydrated state when protected from moisture and strong light; prepared plates are best used fresh for optimal selectivity.

Note: Because this is a complex medium, parameters such as density, melting/boiling points, refractive index, and logP are not meaningful; they are not determined for mixtures of this type.

Quality and Grades

• Listed grade: BioReagent

  • Meaning (general): Suitable for laboratory research applications. BioReagent-grade media components are produced with attention to lot-to-lot consistency and low bioburden, supporting reproducible microbiological workflows. This is not a clinical or diagnostic-grade product and is not intended for therapeutic or patient use.

• Item-specific quality notes

  • Intended use: Preparation of selective agar plates supportive of Enterococcus spp. isolation in research settings.
  • Documentation: For detailed lot specifications (e.g., growth promotion, selectivity performance, moisture), refer to the product CoA/Spec Sheet; item-specific numeric specifications are Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

• Stabilizers/additives

  • If present in the formulation, selective agents and indicators are integral to performance; their exact identity and level are not provided here. Do not supplement or omit components unless your protocol requires it and you have validated the impact.

• Quality control (general best practice)

  • Growth-promotion testing: Verify performance each new lot with positive-control strains (e.g., Enterococcus faecalis) and negative-control organisms known to be inhibited by the medium. Record colony morphology and recovery.
  • Sterility checks: Incubate uninoculated control plates to confirm sterility of prepared batches.

Reaction and Applications

This product is not a chemical reagent for synthetic reactions. Its primary application is microbiological: selective cultivation and isolation of Enterococcus spp. on solid media in research workflows.

Research applications (literature/general)

• Selective isolation: Supports growth of enterococci while suppressing background flora via selective inhibitors incorporated into the formulation. Used for colony isolation from mixed samples (environmental, food, or process hygiene) in research labs.
• Enumeration and colony morphology: Enables CFU counting and morphological assessment on a defined selective background.
• Confirmation workflows: Often used in tandem with nonselective recovery media and downstream confirmatory tests (e.g., bile-esculin reactions, salt tolerance, or molecular methods) in research settings.

Practical tips (general)

• Aseptic technique: Prevent pre- and post-pour contamination to maintain selectivity.
• Plate thickness: Pour uniform plates (~20–25 mL per 90-mm plate, literature) to ensure consistent diffusion of selective agents.
• Incubation: Typical aerobic incubation near 35–37°C; time-to-colony 24–48 h (literature). Optimize conditions per strain and protocol.

Note: Exact inhibitor system and color indicators (if any) for this specific PSE Agar are not specified here; consult the CoA/Spec Sheet for item-specific details.

Reaction Conditions

Not applicable to chemical reactions. For microbiological preparation, the following are general media-preparation conditions from standard laboratory practice (literature/general) and are provided for guidance only. Item-specific instructions are Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

Typical preparation (general)

• Hydration: Disperse the dehydrated medium in purified water at the manufacturer-recommended concentration (often on the order of 30–60 g/L for selective agars; exact value varies by product).
• Sterilization: Autoclave at 121°C for 15 minutes (liquid cycle) unless the formulation specifies otherwise. Some selective agents are heat-labile and may require filter sterilization and aseptic post-addition.
• Pouring: Cool to ~50–55°C, mix gently to avoid air bubbles, then pour 20–25 mL per 90-mm Petri dish.
• Incubation (post-inoculation): Commonly 35–37°C for 24–48 h, aerobic. Adjust per organism and study design.

Quality checks (general)

• Include uninoculated controls to confirm sterility and positive/negative biological controls to verify selectivity and growth-promotion performance.

Safety and Handling

Hazard classification for this specific product is not provided in the Product Data.

• GHS classification: Not specified for this item; refer to SDS.
• Signal word / H-statements / Pictograms: Not specified for this item; refer to SDS.

General laboratory safety guidance (literature/best practice)

• PPE: Wear lab coat, gloves, and safety glasses when handling dehydrated powders and hot media.
• Dust control: Avoid generating dust; use in a well-ventilated area or fume hood to minimize inhalation of fine particulates.
• Thermal hazards: Prepared media are handled near boiling and during autoclaving; use heat-resistant gloves and face protection as needed.
• Biological risk: After inoculation, plates contain viable microorganisms. Treat as biohazardous material. Decontaminate by autoclaving before disposal according to institutional biosafety procedures.
• Incompatibilities: Protect dehydrated medium from moisture uptake. Avoid contamination with strong oxidizers or acids/bases that could alter selectivity.
• First aid (overview): If inhaled (powder), move to fresh air. In case of contact with eyes/skin, rinse with water. If ingested, rinse mouth; seek medical advice. For burns from hot media, cool affected area with water and seek medical attention.

Always consult the product-specific Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for authoritative hazard and response information.

Solvent Selection

Not applicable. This product is a dehydrated culture medium intended to be reconstituted in water and solidified as an agar gel; it is not used as a reaction solvent.

• Reconstitution vehicle (general): Purified or deionized water is typically used to hydrate dehydrated media. Avoid high-ionic-strength or buffered solutions unless the protocol specifies them, as they can alter selectivity and gelation.
• Compatibility: After reconstitution and sterilization, the agar matrix is aqueous and is not miscible with organic solvents. The presence of organic solvents can weaken gels and compromise selective performance.

Storage and Reconstitution

Storage conditions (item-specific)

• Dehydrated medium: Room temperature (per Product Data). Keep container tightly closed, dry, and protected from light and humidity. Shipped under normal conditions.

Shelf-life and handling

• Item-specific shelf-life and acceptance criteria: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Avoid repeated opening in humid environments; promptly reseal with desiccant if available.

Reconstitution (general guidance; literature)

• Water quality: Use purified/deionized water. Adjust volume to achieve the manufacturer-recommended concentration (g/L not provided here).
• Dissolution: Heat with stirring to fully dissolve; avoid scorching.
• Sterilization: Autoclave at 121°C for 15 min unless the formulation requires an alternative cycle. Heat-labile components, if any, should be sterilized by filtration and added aseptically after cooling to 50–55°C.
• Plate storage: Prepared plates are best used fresh. For short-term storage, wrap or sleeve and refrigerate at 2–8°C. Allow plates to equilibrate to room temperature and dry surface condensation before use.

Freeze–thaw guidance

• Do not freeze dehydrated medium. Freezing prepared plates is not recommended as it compromises gel integrity and selectivity.

Research Use Note: For research use only.

Structure and Identity

This product is a complex dehydrated culture medium (selective agar base) formulated for microbiological work, not a single defined chemical substance.

• SKU: P1528682
• Product name: Pfizer Enterococcus Selective Agar (PSE Agar)
• Item type: Complex medium (mixture), dehydrated powder intended to be prepared as an agar plate
• Grade: BioReagent (research use only)

Item-specific identifiers

• Molecular formula: Not applicable (mixture)
• Molecular weight: Not applicable (mixture)
• SMILES / InChI / InChIKey / CAS / CID: Not applicable for complex mixtures; Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

Structural features (general, literature)

• Typical selective enterococcal agars incorporate a nutrient base (e.g., peptones), a gelling agent (agar), and one or more selective agents that suppress non-target flora. PSE formulations have historically included inhibitors favoring Enterococcus spp. while suppressing competing Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Exact composition and concentrations are formulation-dependent and not provided here.

2D “structure” description in words

• As a mixture, there is no single molecular structure. The functional components comprise nutrient macromolecular hydrolysates, inorganic salts, dyes/indicators (if present), and agar polysaccharide, yielding a solid gel when hydrated and sterilized.

Synthetic Utility

Not applicable. Pfizer Enterococcus Selective Agar (PSE Agar) is not a functionalized building block or a reagent for chemical synthesis.

• If your workflow requires chemical transformations (e.g., derivatization of metabolites isolated from cultures), perform those steps on purified analytes using appropriate solvents and reagents. The agar medium itself should not be introduced into synthetic reactions.

Target Specificity

This section typically applies to antibodies or affinity reagents. It is not applicable to culture media.

• For this product: No antigen/epitope/clone/isotype data. Not applicable.
• Functional specificity (general): The medium is designed to be selective for Enterococcus spp. in culture based on its chemical composition, but item-specific selectivity data are Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.