Physarum Policephalum (slime mold): Difference between revisions

Physarum Policephalum (slime mold) (view source)

Revision as of 00:47, 26 August 2024

1,367 bytes added , 26 August

Text

Hanna Bremerich

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--  Fill the needed amount of water either into a pot or the Erlenmeyer flask
--  Weigh the needed amount of powdered agar (e.g. by using some aluminium foil as a dish)
+* Fill the needed amount of water either into a pot or the Erlenmeyer flask
+* Weigh the needed amount of powdered agar (e.g. by using some aluminium foil as a dish)
+* Stir the agar into the water
+* Stir and heat the mixture until it's boiling (by using the stovetop or microwave) and take it off the heat before it boils over
+* Pour the mixture into the petri dishes until they are max. halfway full, close the lids and let them cool down until the medium has solidified
--  Stir the agar into the water
--  Stir and heat the mixture until it's boiling (by using the stovetop or microwave) and take it off the heat before it boils over
--  Pour the mixture into the petri dishes until they are max. halfway full, close the lids and let them cool down until the medium has solidified
@@ Line 53: / Line 51: @@
 A supply of oat flakes can be used as a source of food.
-While it is not absolutely necessary, the oat flakes can be sterilized to try to avoid possible contamination by using a pressure cooker:
+Newly bought oat flakes can be put into a sealed container (e.g. a glass bottle or a mason jar), but if you want to try to prevent future contamination as much as possible, the oat flakes can be <u>sterilized</u>:
 Materials: Glass jars with lids, cotton wadding, aluminium foil, water, pressure cooker
--   Prepare a jar with a lid by putting a hole into the lid and insert some cotton wadding tightly into the hole
+* Prepare a jar with a lid by putting a hole into the lid and insert some cotton wadding tightly into the hole (the hole in the lid is very important, otherwise the jar might burst inside the pressure cooker)
+* Fill some oat flakes into the jars, close the lid and put aluminium foil over the lid to prevent contamination later on (cover the lid completely)
+* Pour enough water into the pressure cooker, but not so much that the glasses are floating (follow manual for guidance), place the glasses inside
+* Close and lock the lid and wait until the needed temperature and pressure point are reached (121°C, 15 PSI)
+* Reduce the at minimum heat at which it is possible for the water to keep boiling
+* From that point on, wait about 50 minutes and ensure that the pressure of 15 PSI is kept throughout this time
+* After that wait for the cooker to cool down on it's own and only then release the pressure to prevent it from boiling over
+* Take out the jars, let them cool down and only open them under a flow hood with gloves and disinfected hands
--   Fill some oat flakes into the jars, close the lid and put aluminium foil over the lid (cover the lid completely)
--   Pour enough water into the pressure cooker, but not so much that the glasses are floating (follow manual for guidance), place the glasses inside
+'''<big>Step 3: Starting a new culture</big>'''
--   Close and lock the lid
+<u>Materials:</u> gloves, tweezers, bunsen burner, paper towels, 70%-alcohol, petri dish with agar-medium, oat flakes
+* (put on the flow hood and disinfect the surface you are working on with alcohol, however the '''flow hood is''' '''not''' '''absolutely necessary''' )
+* put on gloves
+* spray a paper towel with alcohol and clean the tweezers, then hold them over the flame of the burner (doesn't have to be long) (and put them into the flow hood)
+* disinfect your hands with alcohol before working with the slime mold
-'''<big>Step 3: Starting a new culture</big>'''
+'''There are two ways for starting a new culture of Physarum:'''
-There are two ways for starting a new culture of Physarum:
+# Using a part of an already existing culture: <u>Materials:</u> Petri dish with culture of Physarum, gloves, tweezers, bunsen burner, paper towels, 70%-alcohol, petri dish with agar-medium, oat flakes
-) Using a part of an already existing culture:
+*
 - If there is already a culture available, take an oat flake with slime mold on top of it and place it in the prepared petri dish (or multiple oat flakes)
-- Place new oat flakes