Culture media for Petri dishes

Agar-based culture media for Petri dishes

Our agar-based culture media are designed for preparing Petri dishes for the cultivation, isolation, and observation of fungal mycelia.

They make it easy to prepare your own agar plates in the lab, whether you’re propagating a strain, testing a sample for purity, cloning, or starting a culture from spores.

Two options available to suit your needs

MEA+ Medium – Malt Extract, Agar-agar, Peptone

MEA+ is a nutrient-rich medium suitable for culturing most fungal mycelia. It promotes rapid and vigorous growth, making it an excellent choice for routine mycological work.

• Ideal for: mycelium propagation, strain preservation, re-inoculation, and growth testing.
• Advantage: a versatile and nutrient-rich medium.
• Note: Because it is nutrient-rich, it can also promote bacterial growth. It can therefore be useful for monitoring or detecting contamination.

Sabouraud Medium + Antibiotic

Sabouraud medium with antibiotics contains chloramphenicol, which inhibits bacterial growth. It is more selective than standard media and is particularly suitable for more sensitive procedures.

• Ideal for: cloning wild mushrooms, germinating spores, and more challenging or potentially contaminated samples.
• Benefit: Limits bacterial growth.
• Note: Mycelium growth may be slightly slower than with a nutrient medium such as MEA+.

Recommended use

These media are designed for use with our sterile Petri dishes and our stretch films for laboratory use.

Preparation instructions

1. Dissolve the 47-gram packet in 1 liter of hot water, preferably distilled or demineralized.
2. Mix the mixture thoroughly to ensure the powder is evenly distributed.
3. Sterilize at 121 °C (15 PSI) for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Let it cool to about 45–50 °C.
5. Spread the agar into the Petri dishes under sterile conditions.

Tips for Successful Petri Dishes

• Work in as clean an environment as possible: a laminar flow hood, a glove box, a Bunsen burner, or another aseptic technique.
• Pour the agar solution while it is still liquid, but not too hot.
• If the agar is poured in while it is still too hot, condensation may form on the lids.
• If you wait too long, the mixture may start to set before it is poured.
• Let the containers cool and set before sealing them tightly with plastic wrap.

Which agar should I choose?

Composition

• MEA+: malt extract, peptone, agar-agar.
• Sabouraud + Antibiotic: Sabouraud-type medium enriched with chloramphenicol.
• Dosage: 47 g per 1 liter of water.
• Use: preparation of Petri dishes for mycelium culture.

Product intended for mushroom cultivation and mycological research. Not intended for human consumption.