replica plating
(Science: technique) technique for testing the genetic characteristics of bacterial colonies. A dilute suspension of bacteria is first spread, in a petri dish, on agar containing a medium expected to support the growth of all bacteria, the master plate. Each bacterial cell in the suspension is expected to give rise to a colony. A sterile velvet pad, the same size as the petri dish, is then pressed onto it, picking up a sample of each colony. The bacteria can then be stamped onto new sterile petri dishes, plates, in the identical arrangement. The media in the new plates can be made up to lack specific nutritional requirements or to contain antibiotics. Thus colonies can be identified that cannot grow without specific nutrients or that are antibiotic resistant and cells with mutations in particular genes can be isolated.
Dictionary > Replica plating
You will also like...
The Evolutionary Development of Multicellular Organisms
Multicellular organisms evolved. The first ones were likely in the form of sponges. Multicellularity led to the evolutio..
Chromosome Mutations
Mutations can also influence the phenotype of an organism. This tutorial looks at the effects of chromosomal mutations, ..
Freshwater Ecology
Freshwater ecology focuses on the relations of aquatic organisms to their freshwater habitats. There are two forms of co..
Freshwater Communities & Lentic Waters
Lentic or still water communities can vary greatly in appearance -- from a small temporary puddle to a large lake. The s..
Plant Biology
Plantlife can be studied at a variety of levels, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, c..
Growth Patterns
This tutorial describes the sigmoid curve, annual plant growth, tree growth, human growth, and insect growth as the grow..