Time- and media-saving testing and identification of microorganisms by multipoint inoculation on undivided agar plates.

Motility and various biochemical activities of isolates of bacteria and yeasts were tested on undivided agar plates by using a simple, manually operated multipoint inoculation apparatus that allowed the analysis of 25 isolates per 9-cm-diameter petri plate. Fermentation of all 17 carbohydrates tested as well as 13 other biochemical activities commonly used for identification of bacteria were readily demonstrated by the multipoint inoculation plate method, and the results agreed very well with those of conventional tube tests. In addition to speedy inoculation and low cost of materials, the multipoint inoculation plate method offers several other advantages when compared with conventional tube tests or with some of the manufactured test kits currently available for recognizing members of the family Enterobacteriaceae.