Agar plates to buy

Light Malt Extract Agar Plates

for research

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MSRP: £5.99
£4.99
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Key Features

  • A multi-purpose solution
  • Provides a consistent food source for fungal mycelium
  • Pre-poured so plates are ready to use

What's in the Box

  • A pack of 2,5 or 10 LME Petri Dishes (depending on your selected quantity) pre-poured with sterilised agar

Overview

Sterile Malt Extract Agar (LME) Plates

Ready-poured 90mm plates of light malt extract (LME) agar, cooked, poured and set under HEPA-filtered laminar flow. Ready to go the moment you break the sleeve.

LME is nutritious enough for most saprotrophs to grow cleanly, clear enough to read mycelium morphology at a glance, with a nutrient balance perfect for anyone starting out or furthering their mycology journey.

What these are good for

  • Isolating a clean sector from a multi-spore germination
  • Cloning from fresh tissue
  • Rescuing a viable wedge out of a contaminated culture
  • Confirming a spore print is viable before committing to LC
  • Maintaining a stock library with routine transfers


Specs

  • 90mm sterile polystyrene Petri dishes, vented
  • Poured under laminar flow and sleeved immediately
  • 10 plates per sealed sleeve, taped


Storage and shelf life

Keep the sealed sleeve refrigerated at 2–8°C, stacked lid-down so condensation doesn't sit on the medium. Stored this way they'll hold for around 8 weeks from dispatch. Bring plates up to room temperature before opening.

A note on technique
Agar work rewards patience and clean habits far more than expensive kit. Work in a still-air box or under laminar flow using aseptic practices for consistent results.

FAQs

How fresh are the plates when they arrive?

Plates are poured within 3–7 days of dispatch and quality-checked for contamination before they go out, so you're getting fresh, clean plates with the best possible shelf life.

How should I store them?

Store plates in their sealed packaging, agar-side down, in a cool, dark place until ready to use. Refrigeration (around 4°C) isn't essential but will extend shelf life significantly.

How long will the plates last?

Refrigeration extends their shelf-life. If they are kept at room temperature they should be used within 2–3 weeks of receipt. However if they are refrigerated, they are best used within 4–6 weeks of receipt. Plates don'tgo off like food, over time they slowly lose moisture and become more prone to contamination, so fresher is always better.

Are the plates sterile?

Yes, the agar is sterilised by autoclaving, then poured and sealed using aseptic technique to prevent contamination. The grafting tape seal helps maintain sterility during shipping and storage. Always inspect for contamination before use.

Do I need to do anything before using them?

No prep needed. Just remove the grafting tape, work in a clean/still-air environment, and use as normal.

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Payment

We currently only accept bank transfer — full details are provided upon checkout.

Why don't we accept card payments? Unfortunately despite progress, the industry is still heavily stigmatised (from banks) which means that even payment gateways such as PayPal don't provide a service for any spore provider based in the UK (also the reason that you cannot buy these spores on the high street).

We encourage you to read our customer reviews to see the experiences others have had with us.

Still got questions? — reach out to us.

Delivery

In the UK, please allow 2-3 days delivery time from dispatch. Outside the UK times can vary greatly - so it is better to order well in advance.

We currently deliver to the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, U.S.

See our full delivery policy

Returns

Unopened items or otherwise damaged or defective products can be returned within 30 days.

Please contact us straight-away and we'll be sure to put things right.

See our returns policy