Introduction to Microbiology Bacterial Growth and Staining Small Group Learning Kit

This Introduction to Microbiology kit allows students to culture bacteria and perform staining techniques to study bacterial morphology. Students perform a simple staining technique and a Gram staining differential technique to determine if collected bacteria are Gram-positive, Gram-negative, or both. Materials sufficient for 5 groups. The kit includes 50mL prepared nutrient agar, 10mL each of methylene blue, crystal violet, Gram's iodine, and safranin O, 30mL of 95% ethanol, microscope slides (pack of 72), coverslips, 5 sterile petri dishes, and 5 sterile cotton swabs. Required but not included: Bunsen or alcohol burners, forceps, microscopes (minimum 40X objective), 70% isopropyl alcohol or 10% bleach, and distilled water. Aligned with NGSS standards. WARNING: contains crystal violet and methanol, known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. For laboratory use only.