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Petri Dishes with Agar and Swabs - Science Fair Project Kit

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Average Customer Rating:	4.5
Brand:	Science Stuff, Inc.
Weight:	4 pounds
Dimensions:	6 inches x 20 inches x 6 inches [Width x Length x Height]

Product Categories

Science; Science

Product description

Includes a sleeve of 20 sterile emptry petri dishes. Contains two bottles od nutrigent 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

Features

Includes a sleeve of 20 sterile empty 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

Customer reviews

« Everything we needed »

This package had everything we needed for my daughter to do a science fair project! Great!

Rating: (4 out of 5) @ 2010-03-10

« Everything you need! »

I purchased this for my 9-year old to use for a school science fair project. It was perfect! The step-by-step instructions were easy for him to follow. His project was very successful and most importantly, he learned a lot!

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2010-02-25

« The solution blew up my microwave!! »

UGH! This product looked easy enough to use and we needed a lot of petri dishes, so I thought this was the best buy. I put the solution in my microwave for 2 minutes (the directions said 2-5 so I was being cautious). About a minute and a half later we heard a huge explosion and my microwave was dead. My microwave door is now jammed closed from the explosion and it is completely broken! I HIGHLY caution anyone from using this product.

Rating: (1 out of 5) @ 2010-02-11

« Great Product for Science Fairs »

I purchased this product for my daughter's 5th grade science fair project on bacteria on restaurant menus. The directions were easy to follow and she was certainly able to do it on her own, with minimal parental supervision. I do agree with the other reviews that we were surprised at how long it took for the agar to liquify. We microwaved the agar bottle in 30 second intervals on low power. It took 4-5 minutes to liquify. We also, as some other reviews have said, had some chunky pieces that did not liquify. Maybe we should have microwaved it a bit longer, however, the pieces did not seem to affect the bacteria growth. Definitely put the petri dishes into plastic bags after swabbing as the directions say, as they smell very bad within a day or two.

This product was a very good value- I priced similar products both locally and on the internet. It also came with everything we needed! I would definitely recommend it and would purchase it again myself.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2010-02-10

« Great Science Fair Kit »

This kit was great. It arrived on time and intact. The Agar bottles were even came in a Ziploc bag in case they leaked (which they did not). It had very clear instructions and great ideas for presenting your experiment in a science fair exhibit. Preparing the plates was a breeze. When you get the agar it is about the consistency of Jell-O. Heating it up turns it into a liquid so you can pour it into the dishes. I heated them up in a hot water bath as opposed to a microwave and it the agar came out perfect. Flollow the very detailed directions and you will be fine. The kids had fun collecting the samples using the included sterile swabs. Don't swab too hard on the agar though. As long as the swab is contacting the agar you are transferring the sample. If you do it too hard you will gouge the agar and it could come out (that happened with one of our plates). The only other things you need is distlled water which is available in any grocery store and bleach to kill the bacteria in the plates when you are done with the experiment.

A day after swabbing the plates bacteria was growing. You are supposed to keep the plates in a plastic bag to keep the agar from drying out. And man.... when you open those bags, to let them breathe for a few minutes each day, the stink that comes out is nauseating. It is great. The bacteria/mold is growing like crazy.

This is for a fifth grade science fair and my son, who is in second grade, wants to do this when he is old enough for the science fair. I 100% reccomend this product and the seller, Science Stuff, and I will buy it again.