Cryptococcus Differential Agar

Cryptococcus Differential Agar is recommended for differentiation of Cryptococcus species.This medium was based on the formulation of m-FDTG medium except the sugar fructose was replaced by glucose as it supported better growth of Cryptococcus species. . Glucose supports growth as well as strong pigment production by nearly all C. gattii strains. C. gaitii can while C. neoformans cannot assimilate D-tryptophan , thereby producing a brown diffusible pigment. Cyptococcus neoformans appears as Light blue, dry colony, Cryptococcus laurentii as Brown, dry colony and Cryptococcus gattii as Brown, mucoid colony on this medium.