Bacteriological agar is a highly purified extract of select Gelidium marine algae, forming part of the cell wall, that gives excellent growth characteristics used in a wide variety of microbiological applications.
Agar is a phycocolloid, a complex mixture of several sugar compounds that retains a gelatinous structure at RT after boiling. Bacteriological agar is purified by successive washings to remove or extensively reduce chemical contaminants, color and salts.
After autoclaving, agar is light amber and free of particulates, solidifying into a clear, firm gel. Agar is suitable for all molecular biology applications (i.e. bacterial and phage growth, M13 and Lambda). It is superior to standard microbiology grade agars.