Tissue Culture

[pipsqueak]

I have heard about tissue culture many times on this and other web sites. I am interested in how it works and how it is done.
Can you peoples tell me how it works and is done. I'd like to try it! Sounds interesting!

 

[timbudtwo]

hi pipsqueak, tissue culture is accually not that complicated in essence. All it is is growing plants from seeds or cuttings in a sterile enviroment without soil. when you hear in virto it means in glass. Basicly waht you do is have a baby food jar, sterilized with bleach, then rinsed with steril water (boiled distilled water) then you take the seed or cutting and soak it in bleach for about a minute or two (it doesnt kill it, suprisingly!).

People use a pressure cooker or microwave to serilize mostly everything.

Then you take a nutrient and nutirient enriched agar, which solidifies the liquid nutrient. This is called the media. You then place the cutting or the seed (cutting:bottom placed in media. Seedlaced on top of media.) All this is done in a an enviroment where there is an upward flow of air, or no air movent whatsoever to avoid contamination of the media and seed/cutting. You then seal the jar your using, and place it in a sunny location! Plants grown in tissue culture grow and mature quicker, and are usually always healither plants. Hope that helps!

I hope pft can make a basic tissue cutlre kit that they can sell customers. *HINT* *HINT*

thats my 2 cents..

 

[pipsqueak]

I understand so far, but what is the ingredient solidified in the agar?

Thanx in advance!

 

[timbudtwo]

the ingredient solidified in the agar is whatever nutrient you decide to use for the job your doing. here is a website where you can buy your own culture kit. www.kitchenculture.com also, http://flytrap.demon.co.uk sells cheap tissue culture kits that work very well, and come with a free exaple plant! If possiable, can a moderator move this to the general discussions forum, its more suited there!

 

[pipsqueak]

Cool! I think i am going to try it. Sounds fun.
I was wondering if it is possible to make the agar or do i have to buy it somewhere.
THanX a bunch!

 

[timbudtwo]

Agar is a product made from seaweed. So i dont think you could make it! lol. It is avaiable at stores (not many however) as agar agar.

 

[cooper]

Pipsqueak--

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd wager that the ingredients in the agar are two types of plant hormones--auxins and cytokinins. In equal amounts, plant cells form a sort of ball (called a callus) and these cells can grow into any type of cell in the new plant!

Coop

 

[pipsqueak]

Thanx Coop,
I think it still is a little complicated procedure, but why not give it a try? Getting all the materials for the procedure will definitely be difficult. Have you done Tissue culturing?

 

[cooper]

Nope! Never done tissue culturing myself... which is why I'm a bit unsure about IDing chemicals in the agar medium. I'm pretty sure my post works in theory, though.

Maybe the PFT owners can tell us how it's done?

Coop

 

[timbudtwo]

uhhh, cooper, i think he was talking to me... Anyway, yes, i fiddeled here and there in tissue culture. I havent baught any kits tho, made it myself with different ingrediants. Its accually not really that complecated, jsut, understanding it for the first time is! Have fun, and tell me how your experiance works out!