I just had the worst (or best) pun ever. I was explaining to my labmate how my advisor suggested using the same media for two of my anaerobes. This would theoretically simplify things. Making the media is generally a pain in the neck as I don't have an anaerobic chamber.
Actually, we do have one at the lab, but my advisor is loathe to set it up, as we don't have the space. Instead everything is made by boiling oxygen out while flushing with nitrogen gas. Hence, working with boiling liquids while trying to pour it into bottles, which then bubble out at you as the nitrogen does its thing....all while trying to work as quickly as possible to prevent oxygen getting into the media...is a pain in my @ss.
Thankfully I've also become more comfortable working with syringes. All inoculation and addition of any nutrients, etc. are done by syringe into the sealed bottles of media. I admit at first, I had a lot of torn gloves and thanked my luck that I hadn't stabbed myself. I'm naturally accident prone and clumsy, so getting the hang of working with needles took some time.
I really didn't want to relive the scene from Four Rooms.
But I digress....
For whatever reason, both organisms prefer* different media types, despite what is in the literature.
Continuing the discussion with my labmate...
Me: Ya know, I think I would save a lot of time and frustration if I just abandon the thought of finding a happy medium and make two separate ones.
Immediately thereafter my labmate laughed a bit, and I groaned to myself.
(*By prefer, I mean grow quickly.)
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