Fastidious Anaerobe Agar  (F.A.A.)

For isolation

This product has strong historical links with BioConnections.

Now the medium of choice for the routine isolation of clinically significant anaerobes, our medium supports the growth of most fastidious anaerobes.

Classical colony formation, odour and fluorescence under UV are diagnostic features on this medium.
The choice of peptones and growth factors provide early growth of most organisms whilst the starch has an important role as a de-toxification agent.
​The medium is often made selective for various groups of anaerobes by the addition of appropriate selective agents. 

For susceptibility testing

At ECCMID 2018 a poster was presented outlining the work towards the development of a EUCAST disk diffusion method for rapidly growing anaerobic bacteria using fastidious anaerobe agar (FAA).

'Conclusion: FAA is a reliable medium for disk diffusion of anaerobic bacteria when using agar from at least three manufacturers.'

BioConnections is one of those manufacturers

Link to poster abstract
other items on FAA and susceptibility testing in the ESCMID elibrary include;
​
Link to 'clinical Bacteroides fragilis & FAA'
​Link to anaerobes-susceptibility-FAA presentation

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY

Fastidious Anaerobe Agar is available from BioConnections in 500 grams amounts code BC2090R    LINK

We also ship in 2.5 kilo amounts direct to manufacturers of ready to use media  in the UK and throughout Europe..
​code BC2090w2.5​
​

Technical Information
​
Formula grams per litre
Peptones mix 23.0
​Bacteriological Agar 12.0
Sodium chloride 5.0
Starch 1.0
Glucose 1.0
Sodium pyruvate 1.0
​​Arginine 1.0
​Sodium succinate 0.5
Sodium bicarbonate 0.4
L-cysteine HCl 0.4
Ferric pyrophosphate 0.3
Haemin 0.005
Vitamin K 0.004

                                           pH 7.3 +/- 0.2

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​Preparation

​Suspend 45.6 grams of powder in 1 litre of deionised water.
Autoclave at 121C for 15 minutes.
Cool to 48C and add 5-7% of sterile defibrinated horse or sheep blood.
​Mix well by swirling and pour into 90mm petri dishes.
​
(Optional – The medium may be made selective by addition of antibiotic supplements.)

Appearance: Dependent upon the oxygenation level of the added blood. Should not show signs of haemolysis.  

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BioConnections Fastidious Anaerobe Agar has been quoted in many references since 1995 - the following are just a few examples;
 Principles and Practice of Clinical Bacteriology 2006 - page 580
​Use of Quantitative PCR and Culture Methods To Characterise Ecological Flux in Bacterial Biofilms  https://jcm.asm.org/content/45/9/3072
Bordetella petrii Clinical Isolate https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/7/05-0046_article
Molecular identification of bacteria associated with canine periodontal disease  http://www.uesc.br/cursos/pos_graduacao/mestrado/animal/pdf_10.pdf
Evidence of an in-vitro Coupled Diffusion Mechanism of Lesion Formation within Microcosm Dental Plaque  Caries Res 2017;51:188-197
​Comparison of the efficacy of ramoplanin and vancomycin in both in vitro and in vivo models of clindamycin-induced Clostridium difficile infection https://academic.oup.com/jac/article/56/4/717/769503