Hey bacteria, why so negative? An intro to gram staining.
High School/College
Is that bacteria gram-negative or gram positive? And what exactly are the different characteristics of each? Let’s do some gram staining to find out. This activity for college and advanced high school students shows how to identify and categorize organisms in a simple, time-tested way. Download our step-by-step biology activity to see exactly what you’ll need and how it’s done.
Recommended Materials:
- Pre-cleaned, glass microscope slides
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Gloves, lab coat, and eye protection
- Bacterial culture(s)
- Sterile swabs or loop
- Gram stain reagent kit
- Plastic transfer pipettes (unless your stains are in dropper bottles)
As always, if you have any questions about activities or anything else, just ask the Ward’s Science Plus Us team at sciencehelp@vwr.com. Our in-house scientists and technicians are ready to answer even the toughest inquiries.