Petri Dishes with Agar and Swabs – Science Fair Project Kit

Technical Details
* Includes a sleeve of 20 sterile emptry petri dishes
* 2 bottles of nutrient agar – enough to do 20 dishes
* Microwave until melted (aprox. 2 – 5 minutes), then pour into sterile petri dishes. Each Bottle makes 9 to 10 petri dish plates.
* Includes 20 sterile swabs
* Detailed Instructions Included

Petri Dishes with Agar and Swabs – Science Fair Project Kit Reviews:

This was for my fourth grader’s science fair project. The kit came as described. And the directions were easy to follow. We poured distilled water on the sterile swabs immediately before use. My fourth grader had gross bacteria in less than one week!

**It took approx 30 minutes to melt the agar on stovetop. Don’t make the mistake of shaking the bottle too hard or you will end up with lots of bubbles. **
My 11-year old son needed this equipment for a science project. I encountered issues with some other vendors who wouldn’t sell to an individual (terrorism concerns?). Anyway, this kit was just what he needed to get a good grade and it was ordered an delivered w/o any hassles.
I was pleasantly surprised when my Petri Dishes with Agar and Swabs-Science Fair Project Kit arrived 5 business days after ordering it. It had shipped immediately via UPS and arrived carefully packaged in packing peanuts.

The kit included:
-20 plastic Petri dishes
-20 sterile swabs
-2 (200 ml) bottles of nutrient agar
-Complete instructions on how to do a Science Fair project, how to get the agar prepared and into the plates and a handout on Science Fair display design. VERY complete, very good information.

This is easily the least expensive, most complete set for microbiology experiments I’ve seen. Just get yourself some distilled water (needed for capturing cultures of bacteria on the swabs) and a microscope if you like, and you’ll be ‘growing germs’ as outlined in the handouts in no time!

NOTE: Do be careful when heating up the agar in the microwave. If you heat it too quickly you will end up with chunky (non melting) agar. Melt it at the lowest setting on the microwave in 30 second increments, swishing it around each time. Be sure to open the cap slightly before heating.

I tried both the hot water bath method of heating (takes forever) and the microwave. I was saddened to make this mistake with the first bottle of agar, but the second batch came out perfect. Take it slow, and all will be well.