CLEAPSS Practical Microbiology

This course is for secondary-school science laboratory technicians. You should be familiar with the basics of health and safety management.

Course content

The course covers health and safety guidance so that you can ensure the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations relating to microbes are complied with.

You'll also have the opportunity to learn and try out the techniques to:

• Provide safe cultures for students to use
• Deal with all microbiological materials safely during and after practical lessons.

You'll be able to take away the cultures and plates you've made to watch them develop.

Course structure

The course is delivered as a mixture of a lecture and as a practical workshop.

Entry requirements

To attend this course you must have some understanding and have attempted the following tasks:

• Sterilising resources using a pressure vessel (Prestige 6L high domed pressure cooker or autoclave)
• Making sterile media and sterile broth
• Disposing of microbiological waste

For novices, who want to learn the basic theory and practice the fundamental microbiological skills, please attend our full day face-to-face course: Supporting safe practical microbiology - Classic course. For more information on this course please visit our website.  

Learning outcomes

Practicals and skills covered include:

• Principles of health and safety in microbiology 
• Sterilisation and disinfection 
• Aseptic techniques 
• Subculturing – for class use and for maintaining stocks 
• Microbial cultures
• Incubating cultures 
• Making seeded pour plates and lawn plates 
• Environmental swabbing and finger dabs 
• Investigating the effects of antimicrobial chemicals 
• Dilution streaking 
• Disposing of microbiological waste. 

How to book

Please note that this course date is fully booked. Should you like to receive news and updates with the upcoming courses, sign-up below and keep up-to-date with the latest information about our CPD and Short Courses that match your area of interest.

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About CLEAPSS

The Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services (CLEAPSS) has a membership of more than 28,000 schools and colleges, mainly in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where its advice is recognised by HSE, DFE and OFSTED as representing best practice in these areas. As such, it's used by employers as the basis for them to discharge their responsibilities under the H&S at work act, 1999.