Anaerobe Systems

Anaerobe Systems was founded in 1978 by Mike Cox. Working in a clinical diagnostic lab, Mike struggled to recover and grow anaerobic organisms he was certain were causing a variety of infections. Mike, knowing that anaerobic bacteria “don’t like oxygen”, founded Anaerobe Systems to produce culture media sterilized, poured, and packaged under strict anaerobic conditions. Mike also invented and patented the first gloveless anaerobic chamber allowing scientists to more easily manipulate and work up anaerobic organisms under completely anaerobic conditions. Mike was a founding board member for the Anaerobe Society of the Americas, and recently a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award. He is considered one of the preeminent experts in anaerobic microbiology and is a co-author of the CLSI M56-A guideline “Principles and Procedures for Detection of Anaerobes in Clinical Specimens”.

Anaerobic Culture Media

Anaerobe Systems produces the world’s only true pre-reduced anaerobically sterilized (PRAS) culture media. Our agar, broth, and transport media are sterilized under anaerobic conditions which means they are never exposed to oxygen until opened by the end user. We make a wide variety of general enrichment, selective, differential, and transport media. Anaerobe Systems can also work with customers on a one-on-one basis to develop custom formulations not commercially available, and to produce that media using our PRAS manufacturing techniques. See why our PRAS media is the best choice for anaerobic cultivation!

Anaerobic Chambers

Anaerobe Systems developed and patented the first gloveless anaerobic chamber over 40 years ago and ever since has been closely involved in anaerobe chamber design, development, and functionality. We not only design, manufacture, and sell a line of anaerobe chambers, but also use our anaerobe chambers in a real world setting on a daily basis. Our quality control microbiologists work inside of our chambers every day to grow a wide range of anaerobic organisms on the culture media we produce. Learn more about our AS-580 and AS-150 gloveless anaerobic chambers here.

What Makes Us Different

Most culture media, and even other “anaerobic” culture media are poured under aerobic conditions, and later packaged under anaerobic conditions. This results in some oxidative reactions in the media during manufacture, and often requires special processing steps to “pre-reduce” the media just before use. Our culture media is both poured and packaged under anaerobic conditions resulting in robust growth of the most fastidious organisms. Our manufacturing process also allows our culture media to be stored at room temperature and have a 3-month shelf life for agar plates. Our PRAS culture media can be used immediately from the package without the need for extra anaerobic storage systems to pre-reduce oxygenated media.

Commitment to Education and Training

From our early beginnings, Anaerobe Systems has been committed to furthering education and training in anaerobic bacteriology. We conduct a 3-day hands on lab based anaerobic bacteriology course five times per year and include that course free of charge for anyone purchasing our anaerobic chambers. Over the past 40 years, Anaerobe Systems has conducted over 500 Anaerobic Bacteriology Workshops around the United States and the world. We have hosted over 100 scientific interns at Anaerobe Systems and supported 7 masters students in their theses. We also offer a FREE online education tool, The Anaerobe Educator, available to all. Anaerobe Systems regularly attends, supports, and sponsors scientific conferences in the microbiology and microbiome field.

Anaerobe Systems products

Liquid Broth Tubes & Bottles

Anaerobe Systems - Model BHI - Brain Heart Infusion Broth