2.4: Transferring the Inoculum into a Broth Tube

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1. Pick up the sterile broth tube and remove the cap with the little finger of your loop hand (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{1}\)). Do not set the cap down.

Photograph showing how to remove the cap of a sterile broth tube. — Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\):**Removing the Cap of the Sterile Broth Tube**. Using the little finger of your loop hand, remove the cap of the sterile broth tube. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

2. Place the lip of the culture tube at the opening of the microincinerator for 2-3 seconds (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{2}\)).

Photograph showing heating the lip of the tube. — Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): **Heating the Lip of the Tube.** Place the lip of the tube at the opening of the bacto-incinerator for 2-3 seconds. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

3. Place the loopful of inoculum into the broth, and withdraw the loop (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{3}\)). Do not lay the loop down!

Photograph showing the inoculation of a sterile broth tube with the bacteria from a culture tube — Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): **Inoculating a Sterile Broth Tube with the Bacteria from the Culture Tube.** Place bacteria from your pure culture into the sterile broth tube. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

4. Again place the lip of the culture tube at the opening of the microincinerator for 2-3 seconds (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{4}\)).

undefined — Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): **Heating the Lip of the Tube**. Place the lip of the tube at the opening of the bacto-incinerator for 2-3 seconds. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

5. Replace the cap (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{5}\)).

Photograph showing replacing the cap of the tube. — Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): **Replacing the cap of the Tube**. Replace the cap of the pure culture tube. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

6. Resterilize the inoculating loop by placing it in the microincinerator for 10 seconds (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{6}\)). Now you may lay the loop down until it is needed again.

Photograph showing using a microincinerator to sterilize the inoculating loop. — Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): **Using a Bacto-incinerator to Sterilize the Inoculating Loop**. Sterilize the inoculating loop by placing it in the bacto-incinerator for 10 seconds. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

Contributors and Attributions

Dr. Gary Kaiser (COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, CATONSVILLE CAMPUS)