IDENTITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS

Abstract
The species Staphylococcus epidermidis is defined more precisely, and compared with other staphylococci. The physiological characteristics considered to be of primary import are: ability to grow anaerobic ally in a defined complex medium with glucose or pyruvate as the energy source; inability to produce coagulase; ability to ferment serine as an energy source; the requirement for biotin and uracil (under anaerobic conditions) in a semisynthetic medium; and inability to reduce nitrate beyond nitrite.