Labs Skills 101: Making growth medium; using autoclave & biosafety cabinet

We're kicking off a new project at Counter Culture Labs this month! For all you kombucha / vinegar / kimchi / sourdough / etc. lovers out there, this is the project for you. Over the course of the next 5-6 months, we'll go through all the steps required to isolate and identify microorganisms (yeast and/or bacteria) from a variety of fermented foods (bring your own), starting with the basic culturing and progressing all the way through DNA sequencing and barcoding.

For this project (and almost any project at CCL), your very first steps will be to prepare a suitable growth medium for your bacteria or yeast cells to grow on. During this class, you will learn how to mix up liquid or agar media, how to sterilize it in the autoclave, and how to pour agar plates (Petri dishes) and stab tubes. We will also teach you how to safely use some of the more dangerous pieces of equipment in the lab (autoclave and biosafety cabinet).

Feel free to bring samples of fermented foods or beverages you'd like to work with!