This meeting was a preparation session. Yi and I are planning to grow some bacteria, but first had to prepare the growth medium in order for them to thrive. We mixed 50 grams of agar powder into 2 liters of deionized water and divided the dissolved mixture into two flasks. Additionally, we poured some of this solution into a smaller jar for a median solution. Finally, we added 2.5 grams of another agar powder into 60 milliliters of water.
Once our solutions were prepared with the correct ratio of powder to water, we brought all of the flasks and jars downstairs to the autoclave. An autoclave is a heated pressure chamber that is used to sterilize media to be used in industrial processes. In our case, we autoclaved the agar to sterilize and prepare it for the bacteria. I have included a diagram below that outlines how an autoclave actually works.
The mechanics of an autoclave. http://www.used-autoclave-s.com/autoclave-process/
After placing the agar in the autoclave and setting the timer for a fifteen minute cycle, Yi and I retreated to his office and waited for the temperature and pressure to rise within the chamber. Once this waiting period ended, we moved back down to the lower floor and removed our agar flasks from the chamber.
Following their extraction from the autoclave, the flasks and jars of agar needed to cool until they were comfortable enough to handle. We placed them in a bath of cold tap water and waited for about ten minutes until it was not painful to pick them up. Next, we gathered four small dishes and their lids to pour the agar into. After pouring a small sample of liquid agar into each dish and labeling each one, we wrapped the dishes with parafilm as a seal and set them upside down in the refrigerator. Placing them upside down ensures that the condensation that rests on the inside of the lid does not fall into the agar and corrupt the sample.
This internship meeting was so much fun. I cannot wait until next week, when we will place the bacteria in our growth medium!
Thanks for the images that you include in your blog. They are useful, clear, and you even include references. Well done!
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