Description
🧫 TC Grade Agar — purified Gelidium/Gracilaria red algae polysaccharide; the standard solidifying agent for plant tissue culture medium. Not all agar is equal — TC grade is tested for plant response, not just gel strength.
| 📦 Form | Powder, white/off-white | 🔬 Grade | TC / Tissue Culture |
| ⚗️ Gel strength | ≥900 g/cm² @ 1.5% | 🌡️ Storage | RT, dry, sealed |
💡 Why TC grade — not bacteriological grade, not food grade
Standard bacteriological agar contains sulphated polysaccharides and growth inhibitors that suppress callus growth and shoot proliferation. TC grade agar undergoes additional purification to remove these inhibitors, and is plant bioassay-tested (tobacco callus growth or equivalent). Food-grade agar has variable purity and can completely inhibit culture on sensitive species.
🧫 Working concentrations
| Use | Concentration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard shoot culture medium | 6–8 g/L | Firm gel for solid explant culture |
| Root induction medium | 5–6 g/L | Slightly softer to allow root penetration |
| Embryo culture / nurse medium | 4–5 g/L | Softer gel for delicate explants |
| Callus induction | 7–8 g/L | Firm surface, good aeration |
| Ovule / seed culture | 4–6 g/L | Species-dependent |
💡 High-purity agar gives a clearer gel. If your medium appears cloudy or gel strength is low lot-to-lot, check your agar source — impure agar is the most common undiagnosed cause of inconsistent TC results.
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