2 replies to this topic

[kungfoofengshui]

I'm having some issues doing serial dilutions with spores.  I feel like a lot of the spores get stuck to each other at the tip of the micropipette, especially since when I dilute straight from the stock, I get substantial germination, but when I go a concentration lower (via serial dilution), I get very little germination.  Any suggestions as to how I can "de-stick" the spores?  Is it how I'm pipetting?  

Thanks for any advice.

[cellcounter]

kungfoofengshui, on Aug 11 2009, 07:27 AM, said:

I'm having some issues doing serial dilutions with spores.  I feel like a lot of the spores get stuck to each other at the tip of the micropipette, especially since when I dilute straight from the stock, I get substantial germination, but when I go a concentration lower (via serial dilution), I get very little germination.  Any suggestions as to how I can "de-stick" the spores?  Is it how I'm pipetting?  

Thanks for any advice.

No idea at all about the spores. But if you don't get any specific response, you can do this:

When stuff sticks to my pipette tip in my experiments, I sometimes avoid it by coating the pipette with albumin. You just take your pipette tip or micropipette, suck a little bit of 10% albumin and pipette it out. Now the pipette is most likely to be non-sticky. No guarantees, though. Let us know what worked for you.

[hobglobin]

A detergent as Tween might help. Low concentration just to reduce water tension and stickiness. Just for a try out.