"Can an Instant Pot Sterilize Media?" by Nallely Vega, Emmie Grizzard et al.
 
Can an Instant Pot Sterilize Media?

Can an Instant Pot Sterilize Media?

Date

2-18-2025

Faculty Mentor

Ashley Turner, Education & Professional Studies

Submission Type

Conference Proceeding

Location

5:15-5:25 pm | Houston Cole Library, 11th Floor

Description

Please note: no video is available for this presentation.

This study evaluates the feasibility of using the Instant Pot, a commercially available pressure cooker, for sterilizing microbiological media. Controlled experiments began with LB agar media prepared and sterilized using the Instant Pot. To assess the efficacy of sterilization, LB plates were inoculated with E. coli and other bacterial samples, then incubated at 37°C in a biological incubator. Observations were made at 24, 48, 72, 96 hours and at weekly intervals for 35 days. Results showed that the control plates containing Instant Pot-sterilized LB media exhibited no visible bacterial growth throughout the experiment, in contrast to the positive controls, which displayed expected bacterial proliferation. These findings suggest that the Instant Pot can achieve and maintain the necessary conditions for sterilizing LB media, offering a cost-effective and accessible alternative for secondary education and resource-limited science laboratories. This experiment was conducted as part of a larger, ongoing project in The Lab., led by Dr. Turner, within the ESE 423/523 Teaching General Science CURE (course-based undergraduate research experience) in the Department of Teacher Education, CEPS.

Keywords

student research, biology

Rights

This content is the property of Jacksonville State University and is intended for non-commercial use. Video and images may be copied for personal use, research, teaching or any "fair use" as defined by copyright law. Users are asked to acknowledge Jacksonville State University. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@jsu.edu.

Disciplines

Biology

Presentation Information

no video

Can an Instant Pot Sterilize Media?

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