A new bacterial staining method involving Gram stain with theoretical considerations of the staining mechanism.

In order to investigate the mechanism of Gram staining of bacteria, tests with anionic dyes followed by treatment with cationic octyltrimethylammonium (OTMA) were carried out. The study revealed that tetrabromophenolphthalein ethylester (TBPE) gave the most reliable staining of Gram-negative bacteria with negative staining of Gram-positive bacteria. Tests on many species of bacteria showed that TBPE positive bacteria were Gram-negative and vice versa, without exception.