Sample Containers

How do I isolate magnetotactic bacteria from sample collected from lake? ?

my sample contains sediment and water from lake. I have put a magnet on the wall of the container. How do I know if the sample contains magnetotactic bacteria?? And how do I isolate and grow them in agar plate from the sample if they exist?

First, some questions:
was the container sterile? if not, there is no way of knowing you have magneto-tactic bacteria
is the magnet in or out of the container? if outside, tip your container until the water is below the magnet. use a sterile swab to swab the area. swab the surface of an agar plate (TSB or BHI).
if in the container,was the magnet sterile and did you use sterile tweezers to place the magnet on the wall of the container? if not, again you could have a contamination problem. if everything is sterile, remove the magnet and rinse with sterile water (very gently). place the magnet on the surface of the agar.

incubate your plate(s) at lake water temperature until you see growth. once colonies form. pick a couple and transfer them into some sterile lake water (filter sterilized). do the magnet experiment again and follow the isolation procedure above. you should get the bacteria you are looking for.

please send me a note if you need further help.

Haul: Sample Containers!