Monday, 9 April 2018

Making PDA (gel) media

Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) is made in a similar way,  mixed and sterilised in the autoclave; but then it is poured into petri dishes and left to set. 

As a guide, you can pour twenty plates from 500ml of PDA.  If you pour more plates, it means that the layer of nutrient is too thin and that there will not be enough food for the plated bacteria.  I am getting better at judging this, but my first pour produces nearly 30 rather meagre plates.

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