Agarose comes from seaweed. It's a gelatinous substance that changes consistency based on concentration. It's cheap and useful and has become a ubiquitous ingredient in scientific laboratories worldwide. Agarose is especially handy when a scientist wants to grow bacterial colonies or cell cultures on a semi-solid substrate because it can be mixed with any aqueous medium, providing necessary nutrients and vitamins for whatever the scientist wants to grow. It's great for studying biology because it allows colonies of cells to grow on a stable surface, making those colonies easy to track. It isn't just for cells, though. Agar media provides in vitro habitats for nematodes, small worms, developing plants and organotypic tissue cultures.
- Liquid media
- Agar powder
- Erlenmeyer flask
- Microwave
- Hot pad
- Sterile Petri dish
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Instructions
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1
Add 2 percent weight per volume of agar powder to liquid media in an Erlenmeyer flask and swirl the mixture gently.
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2
Microwave the mixture until it boils.
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3
Remove the flask from the microwave using a hot pad and swirl it gently, checking for homogeneity. If the mixture isn't homogenous or if agarose powder granules can still be seen, microwave it for an additional 30 seconds, repeating this step until there are no visible granules.
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4
Pour the mixture from the Erlenmeyer flask into the Petri dish.
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5
Cool the Petri dish at room temperature or in the fridge until the agar media is solid.
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6
Store the Petri dish in the fridge.
