Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I just finished growing yeast in agar plates and now I need to dispose of them. What do I do? Do I need to use something like bleach to kill it or can I just throw the plates away?

Hi there,

Have you taking a look at these links on Science Buddies regarding working with biological agents?

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ents.shtml
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... fety.shtml

If you're working with baker's or brewer's yeast, it's most likely harmless, but it's never bad to be safe! You can just soak the agar plates in 10% bleach for an hour or so and then dispose of the plates.

Connie

Yes, it is baker's yeast. I would have already used bleach to kill it off just in case, but I think that by using bleach, I may have to fill out a form for using chemicals- I don't really want to do that.

About proper yeast disposal:

Do not discard live cultures down the drain or into the trash. Instead, place your dishes in a designated dirty dishes areas after disinfecting them with bleach. Also, be sure to wash your work areas in 70% ethanol before leaving the lab.