Pathogen Inoculation Process II

A few weeks ago, we posted the inoculation process. This week we are showing the results of those inoculations! The top image shows growth after just a few days of inoculation. The bottom image was taken a couple weeks later showing the rapid growth of the pathogen over an extended amount time. As shown in the above images, the pathogens tend to grow radially. To promote the growth process, the petri dishes are set under fluorescent lights with 16h light and 8h darkness.

Pathogen Inoculation Process

Recently in the lab, workers have been preparing quarter strength potato dextrose agar (QPDA) and full strength potato dextrose agar (FPDA) in order to grow the pathogens. In the image above, graduate student Winnie is using petri dishes with the QPDA and inoculating the pathogen in a laminar flow hood. This process requires extreme care in order to prevent any contamination, hindering the pathogen from growing properly. The image below is after inoculation is complete. Over the next few weeks, graduate students will be monitoring their growth before moving on to the next steps.