How Do You Prepare Agar Petri Dishes?
Agar plates are commonly used in scientific labs as a medium to grow bacteria and other microbes. If you are unable to procure prepared agar petri dishes, making them yourself is not a difficult task. Step 1 Warm a bottle of prepared agar solution in a hot water bath to liquefy the agar. This process should take about 30 minutes. Step 2 Use mitts to remove the bottle from the hot water bath. Remove the lid from the bottle. Pass the open end of the bottle through a flame to sterilize the opening. Step 3 Obtain a petri dish and place it on a flat surface, such as on the lab bench. Lift the lid and move it slightly to one side, so that it still rests on top of the dish, but there is enough open space to pour the agar into the bottom of the dish. Step 4 Pour the liquefied agar into the bottom of the petri dish, so that the entire bottom of the dish is covered by the agar. The agar layer should be 1/8 inch thick. Step 5 Replace the lid on the petri dish. Step 6 Allow the agar to cool. Once
