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How to Use a Slide Culture in Microbiology

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, how they relate to each other and other organisms. When studying mushrooms, fungi or mycelia, you may wish to study the spores as they actually grow, rather than placing a dead spore on a slide. To do this, a slide culture is prepared. In this process, a small piece of agar is inoculated with the spore or other material, left to incubate and later observed under a microscope.

Sterile Petri dish
Sterile filter paper
Sterile U-shaped glass rod
Sterile microscope slide
Agar plate
Scalpel
Inoculating needle
Microscope

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a round piece of blotting paper the size of the Petri dish. Place this in the dish.
- 2
  Place the glass rod on the filter paper. Pour approximately 4 ml. of sterile water on the paper so that it becomes moist.
- 3
  Pick the slide up with the forceps and place them on the rod.
- 4
  Expose the tip of the scalpel to an open blade to sterilize it.
- 5
  Cut a 5 mm square piece of agar from the plate. Pick the agar up by pushing the scalpel underneath the freshly cut piece. Transfer this piece to the center of the slide.
- 6
  Inoculate one corner of the agar with the inoculating needle. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for all four corners of the agar.
- 7
  Place the cover on the Petri dish, allow two days for the culture to grow on the slide.
- 8
  Place the slide under a microscope and examine the spore growth.

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