Description
Create Your Own MEAG Agar Petri Dish Contamination-Free
General MEAG with Antibacterial Powder Information
This is a superior product transforming mushroom cultivation. MEA with antibacterial powder is a gelatinous medium used to purify, germinate, isolate, and manipulate mushroom mycelium, significantly reducing contamination risks thanks to its antibacterial properties.
We recommend MEAG with Antibacterial Powder for the following purposes:
- Germinating spores
- Isolating specific strains of mushrooms
- Purifying mycelium from other contaminated agar plates
- Cloning wild mushroom tissue, which is prone to contamination
Why choose MEAG over just MEA?
Spores sourced from wild environments, home cultivation, or reliable spore vendors might carry bacterial contaminants. This is due to the methods used in spore collection, preservation, and transportation, such as spore syringes and spore prints. Often, these spores bring bacteria that thrive on the Agar media, outpacing mushroom spores in growth.
However, when these spores are introduced to MEAG, the mushroom spores will successfully germinate and grow while leaving behind bacterial contaminants. This effectiveness is due to the mycelium cells (Hyphae) which have long and sharp filaments that carry fewer bacteria as they grow through MEAG.
Please note that MEAG differs from MYA. MYA includes Yeast, whereas MEA is comprised solely of Malt Extract and Agar.
For more information, visit our section on Pre-Poured Agar Plates and become an expert.
MYA is more susceptible to contamination as yeast is highly nutritious and therefore not suitable for spore germination or mushroom cloning. Thus, MEAG is an excellent choice for cloning or germinating spores.
Quantity specifications:
These quantities are measured based on 60*15mm size Petri dishes:
The number of plates made will vary according to pouring techniques; we recommend using just enough to cover the surface of the petri dish.
- 21 gm makes 35 Agar Plates (Use 500ml of hot water)
- 42 gm makes 70 Agar Plates (Use 1000ml of hot water)
- 63 gm makes 105 Agar Plates (Use 1500ml of hot water)
- 84 gm makes 140 Agar Plates (Use 2000ml of hot water)
- 168gm makes 280 Agar Plates (Use 4000ml of hot water)
Instructions
- Dissolve your MEAG packet in the specified ratio of hot water (i.e.1000, ml water for 42 gm of MEAG) and stir thoroughly with a spoon. If you have a magnetic stirrer, this will mix the solution properly. The content needs to be poured slowly and not all at once.
- Autoclave or pressure cook for 15 minutes at 15 psi.
- Pour into Petri dishes when it reaches 50 degrees Celsius (Approximately hot enough to hold the flask/ jar with one hand), and let it set for 10 minutes. Do not stir the solution after taking it out of Autoclave, as this would trap air bubbles in this solution.
- Once the Petri dishes are set, inoculate them and wrap them with parafilm. Keeping the plates aside for a week is recommended to check for contamination.
- Petri dishes are best to be stored upside down to avoid condensation.
Don’t have a pressure cooker? No worries; message us and we’ll provide detailed microwave sterilization instructions with your purchase. Please see our listing Make Agar Plates,to find out what you need. Initially, you will need a Reagent Bottle : a 500ml bottle is suitable for microwave use, whereas a 1000ml bottle is needed for use with a sterilizer.
We have trusted this mix to conduct various experiments in our lab.
Explore our other listings for Pre Mixes. We also offer additional Mushroom-Growing Equipment.
You can also purchase Antibacterial powder directly from our store.
