Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello! My daughter would like to do a science fair project on the 5 second rule and I am struggling to find petri dishes without Nutrient Agar, all of which seem to contain beef. We are vegan and would like to find or make an alternative without animal products. Can you please help? I came across malt extract and potato dextrose, but those seem to inhibit bacteria and promote fungi growth. Any tips or advice is much appreciated!

Hello!

Some vegan alternatives that you can try:
- Vegan-friendly agar substitutes. Some agar is vegan-friendly because it is derived from seaweed. I would look for some that are specifically labeled plant-based online or in stores.
- You can consider making your agar if you purchase agar powder online or in stores. Once you get that, you make the agar plates by mixing the agar powder with a nutrient solution that does not contain animal products. Some ideas on agar powder are vegetable broth or plant-based extracts.

I hope this helps!

Amazon has a few options. One brand is Hearthy Foods Agar Agar Powder and Kate Naturals Agar Agar Powder.