Lab Supplies 101: Sterile Technique with Petri Dishes, Syringe Filters & Tape

Once you move beyond pre-made kits into working with liquid cultures, agar, and your own syringes, a handful of small lab supplies make the difference between clean, reliable results and repeated contamination. Here's what each does.

Pre-poured agar petri dishes

Agar is used to isolate and grow mycelium cleanly, letting you see contamination early (as colour changes or unusual growth patterns) before it spreads into a full substrate. Our pre-poured agar petri dishes come ready to use, no pouring or sterilising required. Work near a still air source, wipe the dish edge with alcohol before opening, and reseal promptly with parafilm or tape to limit airborne contamination.

Sterilised syringe filters

A syringe filter is used to sterile-filter liquids (like liquid culture nutrient broth) by passing them through a fine membrane that catches contaminants, without needing heat that could damage the liquid. Our sterilised syringe filters are single-use and pre-sterilised, fit standard luer-lock syringes.

Sterilised syringe end caps

Used to seal a syringe's tip between uses (or after filling), keeping the contents sterile and preventing leaks or contamination getting in through the needle port. Our sterilised syringe end caps fit standard luer-lock fittings.

Micropore surgical tape

A breathable, low-tack tape used to reseal petri dishes, cover injection ports on jars, or patch small holes in grow bags while still allowing gas exchange. Unlike standard tape, it doesn't fully seal out air, which matters because mycelium needs some airflow even while you're keeping contaminants out. Our micropore surgical tape is a cultivation-room staple.

Sterile technique basics that apply across all of this

• Work in a still-air area, away from open windows, fans, or foot traffic.

• Wipe surfaces and container edges with isopropyl alcohol before opening anything.

• Never heat or wipe the needle before injection.

• Only ever wipe the injection port with the included alcohol swab.

• Never spray alcohol on the filter patch.

• Reseal anything you open as quickly as possible.

• Work methodically. Rushing is the most common cause of contamination, not lack of equipment.

For the syringe and needle side of this, see our dedicated guide on using a mycology syringe and needle, and for the full inoculation-to-harvest process, How to Cultivate Mushrooms Step by Step.