Microbiology Laboratory Equipment Introduction
📌 The session covers essential equipment for food microbiology practicals, including large instruments, glassware, and non-glass tools.
🔥 The Autoclave sterilizes materials using high-pressure steam, featuring separate units for destruction and sterilization; monitor the pressure display to avoid the red zone risk of explosion.
🌡️ The Incubator maintains optimal temperatures for microbial growth; Incubator 1 is designated for pathogenic microorganisms, and Incubator 2 for non-pathogenic microorganisms.
🔬 The Microscope is used to observe tiny objects; components include focus knobs, light adjustment, stage, objective lenses, and the eyepiece.

Measurement and Sample Handling Tools
⚖️ The Analytical Balance measures mass with high precision up to 0.00001 gram.
🌀 The Shaker incubates liquid media while providing agitation to maximize contact between the medium and the culture.
💧 Micropipettes (e.g., 1000 $\mu$L or 1 mL) are used for automatic, volume-specific solution aspiration, requiring a Bulb Pipette (Aspirator, Suction, Exhaust).
📏 Graduated Cylinders are used for lower-accuracy volume measurement, like dispensing aquades, requiring meniscus reading at eye level for precision.

Sterile Work Environment and Glassware Preparation
🌬️ The Laminar Air Flow (LAF) provides a sterile workspace for aseptic inoculation, equipped with UV light, blower, and lamp controls.
🔥 Sterilization methods include wet sterilization (Autoclave at 121°C for 15 minutes) and dry sterilization (Oven at 180°C for 2 hours); heat-sensitive items use the autoclave, while glassware uses the oven.
🧪 Test tubes require cotton or gauze plugs to maintain sterility; instructions detail how to create and insert a proper cotton/gauze plug.
🧫 Petri dishes are wrapped using sterile, non-lettered sections of A4 paper, folded securely and sealed with paper tape/label.

Aseptic Techniques Demonstrated
🔥 The Bunsen burner creates a sterile field (aseptic zone) and is used for flaming instruments like the inoculation loop (Ose).
♨️ Before transferring culture, the Ose must be sterilized by heating until red-hot, then cooled by touching it to the sterile inside wall of a test tube.
➡️ Subculturing from liquid to liquid, liquid to agar, or agar slant to liquid involves flaming the mouth of all containers (Scotch bottle, test tube, Erlenmeyer) before and after opening/closing to prevent contamination.
🦠 When streaking agar in a petri dish, a zigzag motion is used to inoculate the culture onto the surface of the agar medium.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Ensure the Autoclave display needle does not approach the red area to prevent explosion hazards due to excessive pressure.
➡️ When reading a Graduated Cylinder or Volumetric Flask, position your eye level with the meniscus for the most accurate volume reading.
➡️ Maintain sterility during media pouring by flaming the mouth of the medium bottle (Scotch bottle) before opening and after closing, and flaming the Petri dish edges before and after pouring.
➡️ Cooling the inoculation loop (Ose) against the sterile wall of a test tube is a critical step to prevent killing the microbial culture upon contact.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Dec 12, 2025, 14:00 UTC