Colony-Forming Unit Enumeration by a Plate-MPN Method

Concepts of the standard surface plate method and the most probable number method (MPN) were combined to provide a new enumeration technique (plate-MPN). Three discrete 0.01-ml samples of an appropriate decimal dilution were inoculated onto each quadrant of a pre-dried petri plate. The discrete spots from the inoculum were then observed for growth after incubation. Results were interpreted analogous to a 3-tube MPN test using presently available tables. Application of the test to pure cultures and mixed flora provided no evidence to indicate the plate-MPN technique to be any less accurate than the standard technique for microbial counts. The plate-MPN technique was less precise than the standard technique. However, the plate-MPN technique has many advantages over traditional methods.