ABSTRACT
Sterilization is a procedure used for elimination of microorganisms. The maintenance of aseptic (free from all microorganisms) or sterile conditions is essential for successful tissue culture procedures. The cabinets for plant tissue culture work should have a horizontal airflow from back towards the front, while vertical airflow cabinets are preferable for working with pathogens or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. This chapter explains specific procedures/guidelines for preparing sterile media, containers/vessels, explant materials and for maintaining sterile conditions. The most popular method of sterilizing culture media and apparatus is by autoclaving the material using steam/dry sterilization. Sterilization of nutrient media by irradiation (via gamma rays) is hardly ever used for tissue culture media preparation because it is extremely expensive as compared to the usual method of autoclaving. The disposable plastic wares are generally UV-radiation sterilized. The sterilized autoclaved media are then dispensed into these sterilized containers in the laminar airflow cabinet.
