Growth Media Type Fluid Thioglycollate Medium (FTM)

Other common names

Fluid Thioglycollate Medium doesn’t tend to have other name variants. It is also universally known by its abbreviated name FTM. 

Primary Use

Fluid Thioglycollate Medium (FTM) is used for the isolation and cultivation of aerobic and anaerobic organisms and is widely used in sterility testing applications. The addition of a small quantity of agar helps to retain the anaerobic conditions within the medium. 

Technical characteristics

The medium’s complex formulation includes a small amount of agar and resazurin. The agar controls the ingress of oxygen within the medium to maintain anaerobiosis in the lower part of the medium. The resazurin is an indicator dye which in the presence of oxygen turns pink.   

pH 7.1 ±0.2

Applications

The main application for FTM medium is in sterility testing of products within pharma manufacturing. The harmonised pharmacopoeia medium is typically used alongside Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB). 

As with most liquid medium, growth of microorganisms shows as turbidity in the otherwise clear liquid.