I incubated ALOT of TSA plates for an experiment most of them have something on them. But a minority of them have nothing growing on them.
Can I reuse these TSA plates? (They've been incubated at 32.5C)
Or are these plates not reusable... has anyone tried?
2007-06-26 02:55:05 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
I wouldn't reuse them. It's possible that there are either dead or very slow growing bacteria on them. If you add more bacteria, you might not be able to discern exactly what you've got growing, and whether or not the presence of one affected the growth of the other. You want pure cultures.
2007-06-26 02:59:12 · answer #1 · answered by Sci Fi Insomniac 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you re-use them, there is going to be some major contamination before you have exposed the P. Dish to the environment, so your plate won't be as sterile. It doesn't take much to take them, so it's not worth the risk. You don't want the bacteria that's already on the plate to mingle with the new ones that you will plate on there. You might get some weird results!
2007-06-26 04:29:56 · answer #2 · answered by Tropical Mango 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I probably wouldn't reuse them. It's possible that they do have something on them that is very slow growing. You have no absolute assurance that the surface is still sterile. I think you're safer just discarding them and using fresh ones.
2007-06-26 02:59:56 · answer #3 · answered by hcbiochem 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldnt re-use them because they could affect the outcome of your next experiment; it would contaminate your results.
2007-06-26 03:20:23 · answer #4 · answered by Hailey L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're cheap enough. Dump the ones you've used and get new ones.
2007-06-26 03:02:50 · answer #5 · answered by pm 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋