Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi one of my students is looking at doing the SODIS project (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p025.shtml)

We are looking at supplies and the tryptic soy agar plates are what we are missing - will a nutrient agar made from beef bullion cubes work? We are at a foreign school and shipping from the US (Carolina and Ward's) is pricey and takes who knows how long, not to mention customs issues. So I am just curious if we can sub in something else.

Thanks for the reply, love the site.

Jason Crewe
Busan Foreign School

I'm not a microbiology expert, so I'm not 100% certain about my answer, but at least from looking at our information about agar, and some instructions online, I think you can use beef bullion cubes in this case. (If another Expert reads this, please correct me if I'm wrong).

This page talks about how Nutrient Agar "Will grow the largest number of different types of microbes - fungi and bacteria. Yet, not all bacteria can grow on these. Some find it too rich, and others find it deficient. The nutrient in this is beef broth, and some extracts from yeast." This type of agar is recommended by Science Buddies. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... Agar.shtml

I also found this short procedure about making nutrient agar using bullion cubes:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5625373_create- ... -agar.html

If that procedure is not detailed enough, I'm sure a quick google search will bring other websites up.

Let us know if you have more questions!