Why is agar used in microbiology?

Nowadays, agar is frequently associated with food products, but there are actually other types of industries where this ingredient becomes an essential element.  

One of the most important applications is bacteriological agar. Due to its nature, agar is an aseptic and solidifying component, which makes it an ideal candidate to use in microbiology. 

Technicians must use agar to create their culture media. Agar is mixed with nutrients to create the perfect conditions for the development of a microorganism. 

These analyses help determine if certain products contain undesirable microorganisms for human consumption, ensuring the quality of the products we consume every day. 

Before agar was applied in the world of microbiology, the first bacteriologists cultured microorganisms in foods such as potatoes, coagulated egg whites and meat, as mentioned in our article "How did the first agar culture medium come about?”. Today, agar is the most reliable and efficient system for producing culture media for microbiology.