Culture Media Calculator

How to Use the Culture Media Calculator

Select your media type, enter the total volume to prepare, number of vessels, and whether you need solid agar. The calculator will scale every component and generate a step-by-step preparation protocol.

• Volume: Total volume of media to prepare in mL (e.g. 1000 mL = 1 L).
• Vessels: Number of flasks or bottles to distribute across. Per-vessel amounts are calculated automatically.
• Agar: Select solid (1.5%) for plates, soft (0.7%) for overlays, or liquid for broth.

Common Culture Media Uses

• LB (Miller): General-purpose E. coli growth. Most common lab broth.
• M9 Minimal: Defined minimal media for metabolic studies, requires carbon source supplement.
• SOC: High-nutrient recovery media after transformation — improves competent cell recovery.
• BHI: Rich media for fastidious organisms including Streptococcus and Listeria.
• TSB/TSA: General-purpose media for a wide range of bacteria and fungi.
• 2×YT / Terrific Broth: High-density growth for protein expression cultures.

Media Preparation Tips

• pH adjustment: Adjust to pH 7.0 with NaOH or HCl before autoclaving.
• Autoclave: 121°C, 15 psi, 20 min for volumes up to 1 L (longer for larger volumes).
• Agar plates: Cool to ~55°C before pouring to avoid condensation and thermal damage to supplements.
• Antibiotics: Add after autoclaving and cooling — never autoclave antibiotics.
• Storage: Liquid broth at 4°C up to 3 months; agar plates at 4°C up to 4 weeks.