plates with antibiotics - how long ok for use? (Apr/26/2010 )

Hallo all,

How long do you guys use your plates with antibiotics?


(I mean: when making them, how long do you keep them at max before using the plates?)

There is no universally applicable rule for this.

depends on the antibiotics....some are stable for ages and some are degenerated in contact with light air etc.

And it depends on the use of the plates; so for cloning or senitive isolation experiments I always use fresh plates only (max 2 weeks old). To e.g. maintain pure cultures I use the plates as long as they are not contaminated.

josse on Apr 26 2010, 12:11 PM said:

Hallo gebirgsziege and klinmed

thanks for the reply.

The paper is interesting!
Thanks a lot klinmed


gebirgsziege, how do you select the plates then? Based on what antibiotic it is, but then how do you select it? Like Rifampicin by example. This can not stand light, so you pack the plates in aluminium foil and then what?

I am using antibiotics that we simple store in a 4°C and they are not sensitive to light or air.

Do you have some sort of list that you use when selecting plates?

Anyway, the idea of using new plates for cloning or senitive isolation experiments is nice. I'll keep that in mind. But using very old plates, that are not contaminated, for maintaining cultures seems radical?
Dont you put a max age on those plates too?