Motility Stab

The motility stab is an indirect way of testing for an organism’s motility. The tube contains growth media an a very low percentage of agar. A needle is inoculated with the organism of interest, which is then inserted into the tube vertically. The needle is then withdrawn from the tube carefully through the same path. The test is positive for motility if there is not evidence of a stab line. However, growth only along the stab line in the agar indicated that the organism was non-motile.