The edible slime of the petri dish “agar”(you know, the gel that fills the glass) has a boldly tart and sour green apple flavor that’s actually quite yummy. And gross. The perfect combo for ...

Petri dish A glass or plastic circular dish. Used in combination with agar to grow cells. Quadrat A square grid, often 1m squared. Used to sample plants or slow moving animals e.g. snails.

It is therefore important that any petri dish or agar used is sterilised before use, and that aseptic techniques are used to inoculate the plates. An inoculating loop can be used to transfer bacteria.