Carolina C-FERN Spores - Manual (Page 5)

5
• 160 mL of medium yields 10 petri dishes; 400 mL yields 25 dishes.
• Replace the petri dish lid and allow the dish to cool.
Powdered Basic C-Fern ® Medium (RN-15-6782)
To prepare 1 L of medium:
• Open the packet and add powder to about 800 mL of distilled water in a
volumetric flask.
• Rinse out the remaining powder with distilled water.
• Stir until the powder is completely dissolved.
• Bring to a final volume of 1 L.
• Add 10 g Difco Bacto ® agar.
• Adjust the pH to 6.0 with 1.0 N NaOH.
• Autoclave at 120°C/20 psi for 15 minutes.
• Dispense into sterile petri dishes. Be sure to fill each dish about 3 /
4
full.
If an autoclave is not available, a microwave can be used to prepare the
medium. Use caution when heating and handling. Wear safety goggles,
use gloves, and do not leave the microwave unit unattended.
Steps for using a microwave to prepare 1 L of medium. 1
1 Use a vessel at least twice the volume of the medium.
2 The solution will boil vigorously in steps 2–5. The medium must be
visually monitored constantly so that if it starts to boil over, the power can
be reduced or turned off briefly.
3 It is important to thoroughly mix the medium by swirling the flask after
each step and while pouring the plates.
Step Microwave Time State of Solution 2 Post-Mircrowave
(1000-W output unit) Procedure 3
1 5 minutes hot remove, swirl
2 1 minute boiling remove, swirl
3 15 seconds boiling remove, swirl
4 15 seconds boiling remove, swirl
5 15 seconds boiling swirl to mix and
pour petri dishes