Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to figure out how fast the fungi pestalotiopsis microspora takes to grow on different growing mediums.
Hypothesis
If pestalotiopsis microspora is grown on nutrient agar,gelatin and protein gelatin then the protein gelatin will cultivate the most spores, because protein gelatin has a stronger nutritional base, due to the fact that protein gelatin has 7 grams of proteins and vitamins, while animal gelatin contains 7 grams of protein per ounce, but it is also lacking vitamins and nutrient agar contains either yeast or beef extracts to boost nutritional value, but does not have the amount of vitamins that the protein gelatin has.
How long will this take?
3 days, or 72 hours, or if the lab is to run full scale about two weeks or 336 hours.
Materials
.Dehydrated Nutrient Agar (CAT No. S71614A)
.Beaker
.Waterboat
.Petri DIshes
.Hot Plate
.Scale
.Gelatin (can be found at Safeway or Walmart; we will provide)
.Pestalotiopsis Microspora (about 20cc of liquid spawn. May need to inoculate the fungi from scratch depending on source)
.Petri dishes
.Vital Reds Polyphenol Red Berry
.Clorox Wipes
.Cast Iron Pot
.Spoon
Procedures
Making Agar (2 Petri Dishes)
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Weigh the size of a small container on a scale
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Measure out 1.4 grams of dehydrated nutrient agar (CAT No. S71614A) in the container on the scale (minus the weight of the container)
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Measure out 50ml of distilled water in a beaker
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Pour agar into distilled water
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On a hot plate heat agar and distilled water mixture until boiled
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Let agar water boil for 5 minutes and stir every minute. Boil longer if clumps are still persistent in the mixture. It should look like the image below when done (except there should be less liquid; use the image as a visual guide for the coloration and lack of powder clumps)
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Pour the agar into the dishes so that each dish is about halfway full.
Making Gelatin (2 petri dishes)
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Weigh tray gelatine powder will be held in on a scale
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Measure out 7 grams of gelatine powder
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Measure out ¼ cup of water
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Pour ¼ cup of water into cast iron pot or beaker
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Pour gelatin into cast iron pot/ beaker
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Stir gelatin until it is not clumped
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Place on stove, hotplate, etc.
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Heat on medium heat for 1 minute and 45 seconds to 2 minutes and 15 seconds or until there is milky white and strands in the mixture and stir occasionally
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Pour desired amount of mixture into petri dishes
Protein Gelatin (2 petri dishes)
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Weigh tray that gelatin powder will be held in
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Weigh 7 grams of gelatin
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Weigh tray that protein powder will be held in
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Weigh 2 grams of protein powder
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Measure ¼ cup of water
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Pour ¼ water into cast iron pot/ beaker
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Pour 7 grams of gelatine into cast iron pot/ beaker
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Stir until there is no clumping
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Pour 2 grams of protein powder in
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Stir until there is no clumping
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Place cast iron pot/ beaker onto stove, hotplate, etc.
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Heat mixture on medium heat for 2 minutes 15 seconds and stir occasionally
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Pour desired amount of mixture into each petri dish
Streaking Procedures
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Open up your container that your fungi is being held in
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Get fungi on the tip of your inoculation loop
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Apply fungi on the 1st quadrant of your petri dish
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Rub tip of inoculation lube on surface of petri dish horizontally
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Do not put inoculation loop back into the fungi and rub across 2nd quadrant vertically
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Repeat this process until you reach the 4t quadrant
Observation Procedures
1. Store Plates in place that is at room temperature consistantly
2. Every day track progress by taking pictures and looking for visual growth
3. Find flat area and sterilize the area with Clorox Wipes
4. Put on gloves
5. Lay out numbered dishes in order
6. Take off the top of each petri dish
7. Take pictures of each sample
8. Put images in data table and record what you saw in each box
E.X.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11xgKOsvlShUnHiqjBthFAYdcJ84-XZgFgCywCN2mU3U/edit?usp=sharing
Questions to Ask yourself After doing the Lab
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In what way did the fungi grow? What did your first signs of growth look like?
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How well did the fungi grow on each medium? Which medium did the fungi grow the best on and the worst on? What would make one medium better than the other?
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How could you apply this to the real world? What sort of projects could this lab contribute to?
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Is there other mediums, based on what you know about the fungi, that would be more effective than the ones you used during the experiment.