MediaMatch: Prediction of Bacterial Growth on Different Culture Media Using the XGBoost Algorithm

Microorganism culturing is essential in microbiological research, with the selection of suitable culture media being critical for successful microbial growth. Traditionally, this selection has relied on empirical knowledge or trial and error, often resulting in inefficiency. In this study, we analysed nutrient compositions from the MediaDive database to construct a dataset of 2369 media types. Leveraging this dataset and microbial 16S rRNA sequences, we developed 45 binary classification models using the XGBoost algorithm. These models demonstrated strong predictive performance, achieving accuracies ranging from 76% to 99.3%, with the top-performing models for J386, J50 and J66 media reaching 99.3%, 98.9% and 98.8%, respectively. The models effectively predicted growth conditions for various human gut microbes, confirming their practical utility. This research improves the efficiency of microbial cultivation and highlights the potential of machine learning to optimise culture media selection and advance microbiological studies.