yellow oysters produceing asexual spores

[Sallubrious]

Are you flame sterilising your implements ?

Wiping with alcohol is not good enough and even if they are PC'd they still should be flamed immediately prior to use and cooled in the agar. Then work quick and always approach from the downstream side of the flow.

[tripsis]

I've successfully done culture work while travelling on a train in India. Technique is more important than using alcohol, a flowhood, etc.

[worowa]

My "lab" has carpet, all my labs have. My dog and family used to share my lab. All my grain spawn sits around in the lab.

I never use bleach, just 70%metho or Glen 20.

I've made and inoculated 1000's of petris in a shearing shed, with dozens of people using the same glove box. Amazed how successful it was.

I never use a flame, just wipe my blade between species, and I use "disposable" scalpels for months.

It's been years since I've had a petri go bad, apart from that crap dried spawn I was trialing, and when trying to clone wild morels.

I do 100 petris at a time, in front of my flow hood, and usually do at least 8 different species, 1 after the other, same scalpel. I do put peroxide in my agar, which I reckon helps heaps.

I still get the occasional contam in grain, maybe 1 in 20, but the chooks and geese appreciate that.

[Zen Peddler]

My 'lab' is also the dog's bedroom. Never get airborne contams - only from wild prints and from old clones. Use h202 to clean things up.