Agar Supplier in OZ?

[thatpersonthatiam]

Does anyone know where I can buy agar from within australia?

[Darklight]

thatpersonthatiam:

Does anyone know where I can buy agar from within australia?

Prepoured agar plates, dunno- Rev? Actual dry agar powder can be sourced from most health food shops and some Asian food stores, its more than sufficient grade for lab use.

[mesq]

What is a good science supply company to go through??

[Darklight]

Depends on what you want in terms of science supplies.

Petrie dishes etc should still be pretty easy to procure, specially if you live in a capital city. Theoretically you should be able to go in and buy them over the counter ( if there are any such places left with storefront sales- they're dwindling fast ) with no questions

Though I'm finding more and more that science supply companies are getting bloody nosy as to expecting justifications for ordered goods; most commercial scientific research takes place under a contract of confidentiality between client and the research body and I'm really starting to resent the degree of inteference from comapnies with whom I don't hold an account ( usually comanies I only order from about every five years- why the f*k should I need an account with them? )

In one case I had to submit a detailed project proposal to a supply company before they would let me order some tissue culture components not stocked by my usual supplier. Even though the ingredient in question was not a list chemical and could not be used to manufacture anything other than tissue culture media

Not only is there an increasing amount of paperwork required to purchase the most basic items, I don't believe the day is too far away where ANY scientific project undertaken by anyone will be subject to govt approval and restrictions. The amount of extra paperwork is getting to be a direct disincentive for small businesses ( yes you've heard that before ) but once it gets to the point where you need extra staff to fill out forms things become a bit squeezed round the budget department

I don't want to be filling out project proposal forms to purchase basic work items. I don't like the potential weakening of the client/ researcher trust when eight or nine extra people have access to descrpitions of my research. I'm tired of having to wait for clients to sign waivers before I divulge our work to bloody supply companies so I can buy perfectly legal items for legitimate purposes.

The presumption seems to be that if you want anything more spohisticated than a pair of forceps then you're up to something, and we all need to be closely monitored for our own good. The idea of a comprehensive education for all becomes seriously compromised if you decide to take up an independent scientific study once you're past school age- or even outside a recognised educational structure at any time. The theory is supposed to be that science is a valid way of understanding the world- as valid as any other- and as such should be open to any interested member of the public

In short: if you want to buy something science-y, and you ain't attached to a major commercial or academic body, no matter how legitimate your research may be- get it now cos it ain't going to get any easier

[/rant]

[mesq]

Ok just rang up Banksia science company.. (cos they are a free call and I always feel robbed spending money on these guys) . I rang up asking about price lists.. got transferred to the guy who screens people who sound like they aren't from a science company.. was made made to feel like a criminal.

500grams Potato Dextrose Agar $156

1 microlitre inoculation loops $65 for 1000

40ml glass petris $1.80 ea

40ml plastic petris $65 for 500

It isn't realistic for someone doing cultures at home to buy these amounts of stuff... also they won't take money order of course it must be Credit Card or Cheque..

I understand that they have to crack down on drug people etc but.. I don't like being made to feel guilty because I have an interest in science outside of a large company. Basically if we want this stuff we have to form a mob (lol) and order it so that one person is not stuck with 800 inoculation loops

[squiresk]

Hi,

Fortunatly some of us work in Labs ;-)

Agar, can be found in your local Chinese grocer type thing, just ask, sometimes called Agar-Agar.

(On a side note, anyone try gelatin. Agar is basically non-nutricious, just a setting agent. The gelstrenght is maybe something to play around with. Actually, come to think of it, we use Lactose Gelatin, for Clostridia at work. So I'd gues it could work instaed of agar, anyway..

err, potatoes, Marck, good quality German tatties. Get 50Kgs sent from Germany, so we all can share. Actaully, there maybe a local supplier.

Petri dishes, got some from Crown Sci. Plus plenty around the Web. I do believe Reville used to supply ready poured plates.

Loops, Um, maybe u could make something, doesn't really have to be a loop, just something (flame) sterilisable, a good spreader, and smoothish, so it doesn't tear the agar. No need for Platinum loops.

k.

[squiresk]

Oops,

And Dextrose = Glucose from a brewers shop. (They may have agar as well?

k.

[spiders]

Science supplies 200 petris for $28

Chinese Grocers agar agar 1.80 per baggie

Mix with Milo (sports drink with lots of malt)

and you have Dutchie's milo agar tech. add boiling water and sterilise in pc.

[planthelper]

where do i get in oz(apart from the net): auxin,cytokinin,standard MS and so on?

[Darklight]

Try Sigma, they have a catalogue on the web as well as a storefront.

If you buy hormones you will either have to buy stock chemicals ( more than you will ever need ) or working strength solutions ( recommended if you don't have an analytical balance but need replacing about every three months )

Please also carefully note storage instructions for both working and stock chems: if you don't store them properly they will go off- and you won't have reliable replicable results even if your work succeeds.

Also note some hormones can't be reliably autoclaved and maintain their activity, they need to be filter sterilised at 0.22uM and added to sterile media before dispensing into containers. I believe the instructions for use are in the Sigma Plant Catalogue of 1994 or 1996- they didn't print them after that but Sigma do have copies

Personally if yer starting out I'd just go for some BAP and IBA, any more than that and you're throwing money at a project you might not have the results to justify.

HIGHLY recommended reading for beginners : A. Taji, W Dodd and R. Williams, Plant Tissue Culture Practice University of New England Printery, Armidale, 1992

Its a disjointed but valuable technical reference which, once you have grasped the physical technique, will serve you for the rest of your working life. I still use mine weekly. You can order it from the University Co-op bookstores