Beef Jello Recipe for Bacteria and Mold Experiment
Bootleg Petri Plates- Microbial Zoos
- by KitchenPantryScientist
I'm re-posting this project nosotros did two years ago, since I'thousand making plates today for a hand-washing experiment that the kids and I will exercise after schoolhouse. Stay tuned!
Did you know that every surface in your home is teeming with microorganisms? Culturing microbes from your home on petri dishes lets you grow some of them every bitcolonies that you can run into with your naked eye. You lot might already have what you lot need in your kitchen closet. If non, the ingredients are readily available at nigh grocery stores. I demonstrated this experiment on Kare11 and you can watch it here, following the yeast experiment.
To make petri plates, you'll need disposable containers (run into below), beef bouillon cubes or granules, evidently gelatin or agar agar*, water, sugar and Q-tips. (*Agar-agar tin exist establish with Asian groceries in some grocery stores.) **Gelatin volition melt if it gets likewise warm, and some strains of leaner tin liquify information technology, which is why scientists in labs utilize agar to make their plates. The idea to use agar for plates originally came from Angelina Hess , who used agar for canning nutrient.
For containers, you can use foil muffin tins, articulate plastic cups covered with plastic baggies, articulate Tupperware with lids, or existent petri dishes. We're going to use articulate deli containers, so that we tin recycle while we learn. (Containers must be heat-resistant enough to pour warm agar into.)
Start by making microbial growth medium (or microbe food, equally we like to call it.) Mix together:
–1 cup water
-1 Tbs. agar-agar (OR one and ane one-half packages gelatin,which is well-nigh ane and a half oz or 12g)
–i bouillon cube (or i tsp. granules)
–2 tsp. saccharide
The next footstep requires adult assistance, since information technology involves very hot liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove or in the microwave, stirring at one minute intervals and watching carefully until the gelatin or agar is dissolved. Remove the boiling liquid from oestrus and comprehend. Permit absurd for about 15 minutes.
Pour the medium carefully into clean containers , until 1/3 to 1/two total. Loosely place lids, foil or plastic baggies over containers and permit dishes to cool completely . The geltin or agar should make the growth media hard like jello. When your plates have hardened, store them in a absurd place, like a refrigerator, before using. Plates should be used in two-3 days. When you are working with the plates, endeavor to keep the lids on loosely whenever possible, so that they are not contaminated by microorganisms floating effectually in the air. If yous're planning to utilise muffin tins, but place them in a muffin pan, fill them with agar, and when they're cool, put them in individual zip-lock baggies. With other containers, put the lids on tightly once the plates harden.
When the plates are fix, milkshake the condensation (water droplets) off the lids of the containers and put them back on. If you take a clear container, you can draw a filigree of iv sections on the lesser of the plate with permanent marker. (If using muffin tins, label each bag with the surface yous are checking.) Make up one's mind which surfaces yous'd like to test.
Characterization your plates with the names of the surfaces you want to test. Be certain to characterization the lesser of the plate since the hat will movement. You should be able to see through the agar to see your lines and your writing. If y'all want to, you tin label a split plate for each surface, but we had 3 kids and three plates, so we made sections. Boob tube remotes, kitchen sinks, computer keyboard, doorknobs and pianoforte keys are great surfaces to check. You tin even touch your finger to the plate, coughing on a plate, or leave ane open to the air for half an hour to meet what's floating effectually! (See the photograph at the top of this post for a better picture show of how your plate might look.)
Rub a clean Q-tip effectually on the surface you want to test. Then, remove the lid from the plate and gently rub the Q-tip across the section of the plate labeled for that surface. If yous're careful, the agar shouldn't intermission. If information technology does, information technology's no big deal. When you're done, prepare the plates on a flat surface with their lids loosened and taped on (do non invert them.)
Here's what grew on one of our plates (pictured above): The large, fuzzy colonies are fungi and the small, whitish ones are probably bacteria.
See what grows! You will by and large see fungi (molds), but you may likewise encounter some tiny articulate or white spots that are colonies formed by millions of bacteria. Record and draw how your plates await in your scientific discipline notebook . Keep track of how long it takes things to grow and the shapes, sizes and colors of the microbial colonies that grow on their plates. Sciencebuddies.org has this great page on interpreting what yous find growing on your plates! If you want to learn more about microbes, search for the words fungi and bacteria on the websitecybersleuthkids.com and information technology will give y'all some great links to microbiology websites. Microbes are everywhere, but that very few of them are harmful, and many of them are essential for good health .
Launder your hands after handling the plates, and throw the plates away when you are done. Remember, if you washyour hands with regular paw soap for the length of time that it takes to say the ABCs, you'll remove most of the harmful bacteria and viruses on them. (One side effect of this experiment is the sudden urge to disinfect reckoner keyboards and remote controls.)
Source: https://kitchenpantryscientist.com/microbial-zoos-homemade-petri-plates/
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