1 A do-it-yourself approach for basic basement steps starts around $250-$350 for materials, and takes about 3-4 hours. 2  That's with standard lumber, such as pine; costs can go much higher with more expensive wood, such as oak.
Pour enough melted agar into each sterile plastic petri dish to cover the bottom - about 1/8 to 1/4 deep. Replace the lid immediately. Place agar plates on a counter top to cool and set. Agar medium will set like stiff gelatin at room temperature. The agar medium is now ready for storage or use.
If the bacteria on your LB agar plates are not fresh, you should streak your bacteria onto a new LB agar plate before growing in liquid culture. More aeration may help to increase the density of the culture. Normally cultures shake at 150 - 250 rpm, increase this to 350 - 400 rpm to obtain a higher cell density.fter incubation, check for growth, which is characterized by a cloudy haze in the media (see right). Note: Some protocols require bacteria to be in the log phase of growth. Check the instructions for your specific protocol and conduct an OD600 to measure the density of your culture if needed.