Skip to main content
Log in

Enumerating Viable Bacteria

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

FOR many purposes the number of viable organisms has to be known. In antibiotic assays, for example, the size of the inoculum influences the result of the test1,2. Optical densities of bacterial suspensions, not corroborated by viable counts, are misleading, as dead cells are also registered. Viable numbers are usually estimated from poured plates3.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Org., Technical Rep. Ser., No. 210 (1961).

  2. Seneca, H., and Peer, P., J. Amer. Geriatrics Soc., 11, 968 (1963).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hinds, A. E., and Peterson, C. X., J. Bact., 86, 168 (1963).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fisher, R. A., Statistical Methods for Research Workers, thirteenth ed., 61 (Hafner Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Molina, E. C., Poisson's Exponential Binomial Limit (D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, New Jersey, 1942).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KOCH, W., KAPLAN, D. Enumerating Viable Bacteria. Nature 203, 896–897 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/203896a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/203896a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation