Nutrient agar plates

[lizzieb]

Me too, pretty please!

elizabeth.d.burgess@det.nsw.edu.au

Many thanks,

[labman]

Hi Again,
Those that asked for the slideshow today(Monday) should have it now. Let me know if any problems.
Cheers,
Lisa

[Labbie]

Thank you for the slide show, its excellent, we love it.

[noona]

HI
Can I please have the slide show to
Thanks
Noona
ROSALIE.CASSAR@det.nsw.edu.au

[Loopy]

Thanks Lisa!
I'm with Sassi, I feel like washing my hands just looking at them!
Good job,
Lou P.

[Ocker]

I love it Sue!
Will try this next year, we have finished all our plates & Pastuer expts for this year

[jilly]

Hi Lisa
Could I have a copy of the slide show please.
Regards
Jill
jilly12@westnet.com.au

[me]

Hi Lisa, Sounds great could I please have a copy too? Hope I'm not to late. TRACEY.KING3@det.nsw.edu.au
Thanks

[labman]

Noona, Jilly and Tracey,
No worries, all sent. Any problems, please let me know.
Cheers,
Lisa

[lizzieb]

Many thanks, Lisa - teachers very impressed!

[rae]

Hi
Can I get on the band wagon too PLEASE!!! Sorry to be late with the request. Should I give you 24hrs notice!! LOL!!
email: mueller@oxley.nsw.edu.au

Thanks Heaps
Lorrae

[labman]

Hi Rae,
All done, no worries. Don't worry about the 24hrs notice. The shock of someone actually doing that could kill me!!!! LOL!
Cheers,
Lisa

[Sassi]

Hi Guys,
I am micro trained. The dept of education state no growing of unknown Microbes. you can do everything you need to do for the sylabous using a peppercorn solution wich growes a safe bacteria to you, students and teachers. the plate can be desposed of in bleach or in home brand disinfectent then you can place in normal garbage.

kathy

Hi Guys,

After reading this the other day I told my teachers about it. I was very concerned as what we do here with year nine students is walk around to different location at the school and do swabs, like the toilet door handle, pool water, bubbler etc. I was concerned as to me that feels like we are growing unknown microbes. The teachers told me that no this is fine, cause we are only incubating them at 25degrees C and that we have to do this as it is in the syllabus. I had a look at some of the plates today and thanks to labman I was able to identify some as E.coli, staphs and other sorts of nasties. What do you all reckon, is this safe to do? I feel totally grossed out and I swear my throat is sore and I feel nauseated too If it is not safe to do, is it written down somewhere so that I can show the teachers. I really dont wanna do this again Plus some teachers will not be able to get to the plates until next week, can you imagine how gross they will be then???

Sass

[RosalieM]

My understanding is that as long as the plates aren't opened, it is not a problem. The 'nasties' can't escape. Are your plates sealed the whole way around? I make the kids use parafilm all the way around making sure there are no gaps. They used to use sticky tape but then sometimes the kids would just put a cross over it and so there would be sections where the plates were not sealed. I didn't like this!! When the teachers have finished with them you sterilise them so anything inside is killed before you dispose of them.

[lada]

I must agree with Sassi. The only time I feel sick is when kids do this prac.
At one of the conferences we were told, as long as you incubate at different temp to body temp, it is safe. The nasties it produces are not harmul to humans. Tell that to my body.
So our teachers continue with it and incubate at 25oC (or under 30oC at least).
Lada

[Labbie]

I'll see if the CSIS has any thing on that, over the weekend, out to night, its my birthday, and tomorrow's is ours sons birthday.

[Sassi]

Happy birthday Sue! Have a wonderful night out, you deserve it!

Sass

[kitty kat]

HI,
CSIS states you can not sudculture from wild culture and that you can only grow a Risk group 1. THey recommend a pure culture one that is of risk group one. The pepercorn grows Bacillis Subtilis a group 1 this has been Identified by the institute of clinical pathology and medical research westmead Hospital . If the teacher insist on doing that prac the danger is to you because you have to dispose unknown bacteria that may have pathogens. Bad bacteria can grow grow at 25 degrese this procedure just limited the amount and some of the nastys. You can look up CSIS 3.2.6Page 57 part 2.

kathy

[Sassi]

Hi Kitty kat,

I read what the Csis... so am I right in thinking what we are doing is classified as subculturing from wild cultures???

Sass

[sunray18]

A few years ago I became very ill and was off work for nearly 3 weeks with pneumonia.
The next year at the same time it happened again!
A Labtech at another school was always ill at the same time, had even ended up in hospital.
My incubator - and hers too - were in our prep rooms, just sitting on the bench with no exhaust fan.
It seemed a strange that our illnesses coincided with the time Junoir classes did agar plates.
I realised that we were inhaling any nasties that escaped from the incubators.
Have you noticed that every time the door is opened the smell pours out from the incubator?

SO - we both moved our incubators.
I put mine permanently into a fume cupboard and she put hers into another area.
Both of us have not been ill since.