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Petri-fied
21.08.2023 - 11:45 / theunconventionalgardener.com / Emma Doughty
Arabidopsis thaliana is Thale cress, a small, short-lived and promiscuous brassica that was – until recently – mostly known as a common weed. These days, it plays a vital role in plant science. It is sometimes referred to as the “white mouse” of botany because it is used as a model plant that plays the same role as the ubiquitous laboratory mouse. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its genome (DNA) sequenced, and is easily mutated. It has been widely used in laboratories since the 1980s, and so – of course – has been sent into space. A lot.
If I went on the hunt in my local area, I might be able to find a wild specimen. However, I’m not at all confident I could identify it, having never seen it. And so I ordered some seeds to grow so that I could see it up close. I tried sowing them in my hydroponic seedling tray, and they failed to germinate. That occasionally happens, although not usually with brassicas. They seem to take to hydroponic life like ducks to water. So I had to come up with a Plan B.
Plant scientists do a lot of germination in Petri dishes, in agar. Agar is a jelly-like substance that’s made from algae. It’s used quite a lot in food, and you can try making vegan jellies with it. We did that once, we didn’t like it. But I figured that Arabidopsis seems to like it, so I hatched a plan.
I ordered some Petri dishes and a pair of tweezers (Arabidopsis seeds are tiny), and bought some agar. Yesterday I prepared the agar, according to some instructions I found on the internet (there are none on the agar box!).
Agar goes bubbly when you boil it. I don’t know how plant scientists make their Petri dishes bubble-free. It also sets relatively quickly, so you don’t want to hang about pouring it out. Oh, and washing it
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