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Name: Allison 
Status: Student
Grade:  K-3
Location: NE
Country: United States
Date: January 2006
Question:
Can Knox Unflavored Gelatine be substituted for Agar in a petri dish in order to grow bacteria for our science project?


Replies:
No...the reason sea weed derived agar is used is because very few bacteria can use it as a food source and so it wont be digested. This is not the case with gelatin.

PF

Gelatin will work but some bacteria secrete proteases that will hydrolyze or digest the gelatin. The reslt will be holes in the gellatin where a bacterial colony is growing.

Ron Baker, Ph.D.

It has to have nutrients as well as just gelatin. All living things need a source of carbon and of protein. There are recipes on line for making agar substitutes.

vanhoeck


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