Why are fermentation tubes evaluated at 24 and 48 hours?
by 
Carolyn Goodrum
ANSWERS: 1
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I am assuming you are talking about the MPN (Most Probable Number) method of determining gas production of coliform bacteria in water and treated or raw sewage. 24 and 48 hours are rounded numbers resulting from standardized amounts of the selective growth medium LSB (Lauryl Tryptose Broth) in combination with 35 degrees celcius, I'm sure theres lots of math you could do to prove the rate of multiplication to determine the amount of time it takes for bacterium like Escherichia Coli to rear their ugly heads. Based on the pattern in all numbers involving health and safety I would assume these 24 and 48 hour numbers often could be done in 2/3's or dare I say 1/2 the time figured. Since methods are often only done to the "T" by the people who designed them. Do you drive your car like you would a rental? The guys at bioMérieux got approval for their automated system recently. You might ask how their system works?
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