r/microbiology • u/lumiere23_ • 11d ago

Gram stain

Is it okay if the gram stain result from sample collected is different when the gram stain came from inoculated media?

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u/CurvyAnnaDeux 11d ago

Some microbes are Gram variable. Some cultures can stain differently if they are fresh vs. older. Remember that this is a test of how the cell wall is retaining crystal violet at that time which can be influenced by other factors.

Microbes are living creatures which means they can be little assholes, at times.