Agar-fruit juice plates
MATERIALS
Reagents
3 g Bacto Agar (Difco)
50 mL fruit juice (grape or mango punch; any type will probably work) (prewarmed to 60ºC)
50 mL H2O
10% solution (w/v) of methyl paraben (p-hydroxymethylbenzoate; Sigma H 6654) in ethanol
Equipment
Microwave oven
Petri plates or collection dishes
METHOD
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1. Add the Bacto Agar to the H2O in a 200-mL beaker.
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2. Place the beaker in a microwave oven to dissolve the agar.
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3. To the dissolved agar, add the prewarmed fruit juice, 1 mL of 10% methyl paraben in ethanol, and the glacial acetic acid.
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4. Pour into Petri plates or collection dishes of choice to a depth of ~5 mm. Scale up the volumes as needed.
