Introduction and prospective

Abstract

The activities of the Working Party on Culture Media (WPCM) of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) since 1978 are reviewed. The assignments at hand include (1) drawing up a list of media used on a large scale and therefore qualifying for a pharmacopoeia-type monograph, making serious attempts to eliminate bias resulting from parochial preference; (2) requirements for the functioning of these media, i.e. productivity and selectivity, with regard to the type of specimen being examined.