Methyl red testing.

Question 1

What is methyl red testing?

Answer 1

Methyl red testing is a test used to differentiate between bacteria based on their ability to produce sufficient acidic products during glucose fermentation.

Question 2

What is the basis of methyl red testing?

Answer 2

The basis of methyl red testing is that bacteria metabolise glucose to pyruvate before it is put into the mixed acid pathway producing different acidic products depending on the bacterial species. The change is pH is detected and the methyl red changes from yellow to red.