Culturing bacteria project...

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

I am planning on doing an experiment of culturing microbes from my hands. I do not have agar gel, is there a substitute for agar gel that I can use for the bacterium.

Does yogart work for this? And if so, how should it be prepared?

[Skye]

You could use gelatin.

[YT2095]

a strong mix of Xanthan gum will work also, don`t forget though, you will need nutrients, and what you use to make your medium has to be well boiled, before AND after making your gell!

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

So... Where can I get Xanthan gum, from household items? How should I prepare it all as a gell, could you give me a brief procedure. Plz. Thanks.

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

Ok, well, how would i prepre some geliton, and could I get it from jello???

[YT2095]

ok, Firstly you`ll get Xanthan gum from most supermarkets or health food shops that sell organic products espescialy for those that are intollerant of Gluten in Wheat, it`s used as a substitute.

 

Gellatine, there are 2 different sorts, some are seaweed based the others are based on animal products collagen and cartilage. any of these will do

you can also buy these for a super market, it`s used for home made jellies and Aspic for certain savory dishes usualy containing fish

 

 

hope that helps

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

and I woud just boil the geletin, and pour it in my peetry dish? and then smear on the bacteria whebn the geletin dries?

[YT2095]

basicly, boil the water 1`st for a good 10 mins, then follow the instuctions on the packet (measures etc...) then boil again.

pour it into well boiled petre dishes (they must be spotless!) and let it set, it doesn`t "Dry" as such it solidifies.

during the last boil and before you pour it into your dishes, THAT is the time to add your nutrients

 

remember also for your own safety and those around you, NEVER open a cultures dish without gloves and suitable ventilation, never allow ANY of this to come into contact with eating places or materials, ALWAYS have plenty of Chlorox bleach (domestos) around in case of accident, NEVER do this unsupervised! even I have a watcher, and I only make harmless plant materials.

Cleanliness is the key to success and good results, if you even THINK something may have got contaminated or have ANY doubts, DESTROY IT!

 

have fun

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

Very good point YT.

Thanks for the info:)

[aommaster]

can the bacteria that is being grown be harmful in any sort of way?

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

Oh, wait and one more thing, would room temperature be good for growing baterium (about 65-70Degrees F) or should i incubate? The bacterium will come from my hands, and maybe seliva. And maybe even from outside. If i shoud incubate, how should I do ths, i dont really have a professional incubater

[aommaster]

Bacteria grow best at something like body temperature. Room temperature should work ok. But, if you want fast growing bacteria, then, body temperature is the best to use

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

hmmm, if i store the bacteria over my radiator, do ya think that should be good, as a matter a-fact, i think ilkl take to temperature readings now

[aommaster]

yeah. That's the best way. Also, make sure that it doesn't go above 40 or something, otherwise, the enzymes in the bacteria don't work at all (they get denatured) and they won't grow properly!

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

Oh, and if i used lime nutrients, would that be a little to acidic for them, i only included a TINY drop. Plus, will some sunlight be good for them (like it is for plants and humans supplying us w/ vitemin D) or should the bacterium be kept in the dark???

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I thought that some bacteria died in light...

[aommaster]

hmm... i don't think most of them though! Otherwise, we could sterilise ourselves with light!

 

Oh, and if i used lime nutrients, would that be a little to acidic for them, i only included a TINY drop. Plus, will some sunlight be good for them (like it is for plants and humans supplying us w/ vitemin D) or should the bacterium be kept in the dark???

 

no, not really, unless you are going to culture plant-like mono-secll organisms, which i don't think u r.

 

They only need light if they are plant like (they have chloroplasts and hence cholorphyll)

 

otherwise, i don't think it makes a gigantic difference!

[Sayonara]

Try to AVOID incubating above about 33c.

 

When you culture random bacteria at body temperature there's a good chance you'll have great lumps of pathogenic organisms in with your results.

[aommaster]

what exactly are pathogenic organisms? Fungi?

[Sayonara]

Any organism that causes pathology, be it a virus, bacterium, fungus, parasite or whatever.

[aommaster]

oh. ok! Thanx

[YT2095]

nasty/toxic little critters, that love to breed inside you given half the chance! Yuck :@

[aommaster]

Thanx for the good detail!

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

ummm, I am a pretty impatient scientist:) but, it has been a day, and I have not seen any growth. I prepared them (bacterium) by:

making lime flavored gelatin, which was poured into a new petre dish. The gelatin set, and I took a swab of saliva, a swab from outside on rocks, plants, and other things, and I lightly pressed my finger on the dish. I put all three samples in three "corners" of the petre dish.

I then put the dish by my radiator (a foot or two away), which is at a pretty constent temperature, at around body temperature.

I have waited a day (is this no long enough to see anything at all?) and the dish is virtually spotless to the naked eye.

SHould this be????

Am I doing something wrong???

I dont see any traces of microbes or bacterium w/ naked eye, they are still there, right?

[aommaster]

hmm... according to me, i would say that you should wait for a few more days before jumpping to conclusions! But, I'm no expert in this... ask YT!