Aseptic technique

Before you start, get a bottle of O-SYL and wipe down your bench with it

You will need a flame to light the bunsen burner If you are using a torch, do NOT keep striking it, if there is no spark – your fellow students would like to continue to breathe You will NEVER get a bunsen burner to light if there is no spark in the torch

Turn on the blue knob to provide gas and to light the bunsen burner

Your flame does not need to be very high; adjust it, if necessary

It is now time to start working with your bacterial culture

Your right pinky is now the most important part to perform the next steps Hold the tube with the bacterial culture with your left hand Remove the cap with your pinky from your right hand In the aseptic technique, you want to try NOT to put anything down on the counter if you do not have to

Every time you open or close your bacterial culture, you want to flame your tube Remember, the cap is being held by your pinky of your right hand and is NOT on the counter With the tube in your left hand, pass it through the flame If you need to use the loop, hold it between your thumb and forefinger of your right hand

Close the tube by transferring the cap from your right hand onto the cover of the tube

Time to clean up When you are done with the cultures, place them in the rack or container provided by your instructor Make sure that you have turned off the flame All bacterial plates that you do not want must be placed in the orange bags Tubes that you do not want should be placed in the RACK in the back of the room – they are not discarded Wipe down your bench with O-SYL