Bacteriology Stains

Bacteriology staining micrograph of smear culture using Lactophenol blue

Bacteriology is almost as old as the microscope. Thanks to modern stains and methods, what were once minute and mobile curiosities, can now be rapidly and specifically detected, identified, and classified.

Our comprehensive range of innovative bacteriological products includes brilliant, ready-to-use staining solutions and kits, user-friendly phenol-free alternatives, plus a complete portfolio of auxiliary reagents and instruments.

We offer solutions, stains and kits that are ready-to-use, IVD-registered, CE-certified, and undergo comprehensive quality controls, making them suitable for use in clinical diagnostics as well as industrial quality control. Assured high quality, long shelf life, and batch-to-batch consistency give you definitive and reproducible results to facilitate your bacteriology testing, even in difficult diagnostic cases.

Gram Staining

Gram staining is a very common, yet important staining procedure used to differentiate two large groups of bacteria based on their different cell wall constituents. Differentiation is achieved as Gram-positive bacteria retain a violet-blue stain, while Gram-negative bacteria are decolorized by organic solvent, and turn orange-pink when counterstained. We supply various solutions needed to perform this multi-step procedure with confidence, speed, and ease in any clinical lab or industry. Find crystal violet and aniline dyes, Gram’s Iodine and decolorizer solutions, and safranin orange counterstain in safe PE bottles, available in a variety of packs and sizes. For your safety, we also provide a phenol-free kit. Our Gram staining solutions and sets are easy to handle and provide reliable staining results.

Acid-Fast Bacteria

For the most reliable detection of acid-fast bacteria, we offer a wide selection of solutions and kits suitable for manual or automated staining. Perform fluorescence detection under the microscope with our acid-fast stain solutions and AFB fluor staining kit (phenol-free option available) or try our Ziehl-Neelson solutions for hot staining of smears or paraffin sections. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen cold staining is also possible with our ready-to-use AFB color kits.

Auxiliaries for Bacteriology

Find everything your workflow requires to prepare, fix, stain, and mount your bacteriological specimens. We offer a wide range of products for bacteriology, from reliable fixatives to aqueous and non-aqueous mounting media, immersion oils with excellent refractive properties, and many other high-quality reagents, solvents, solutions, excipients, and instruments. We have your needs covered at every step.

TISSUE-TROL™ Control Slides

Our Sigma-Aldrich^® Tissue-Trol™ are control slides consisting of paraffin-embedded tissue sections with known features including specific microbial pathogens. Histology control slides are essential in the support of formal quality assurance programs to monitor staining performance in pathology laboratories.

Related Product Resources

Article: Identification of Microorganisms Based on Color
For microbiologists the most fundamental stain was developed in 1884 by the Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram.
Article: Pseudomonas Media and Tests
An article concerning the detection, identification, differentiation, and cultivation of Pseudomonas species.
Article: Streptococci - Overview of Detection, Identification, Differentiation and Cultivation Techniques
Streptococci are non-motile, microaerophilic, Grampositive spherical bacteria (cocci). They often occur as chains or pairs and are facultative or strict anaerobes.
Article: Toluidine Blue Staining Protocol for Millicell^® Culture Inserts
Toluidine blue stains the nuclear material in tissues with a high DNA and RNA content and is used for selectively staining acidic tissue components such as carboxylates, sulfates, and phosphate radicals.
Article: Detection and Molecular Identification of Mycobacteria Species
The diseases produced by species of the genus Mycobacterium are important causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. The identification of mycobacteria to the species level is important because of the clinical significance; some species are pathogenic while others are not.