Inoculating Loops

Inoculating loops are used in many laboratory settings to transfer microorganisms from a donor culture to a growth medium. They can be made of metal, plastic, or a combination.

Inoculating loops are used for injection, serial dilution, sterile sampling, sample transfer, and microbiological sample spreading. They are available in disposable and color-coded products.

Sterile

Inoculating loops are used in microbiology labs for transferring small amounts of liquid and solid media to a growth medium. They consist of a thin wire with a handle and are available in different sizes, materials, and colors.

Inoculation needles and loops introduce microorganisms like bacteria or yeast into plated or tubed growth media before incubation, multiplication, or growth. They are also used for sampling and transferring small quantities of microorganisms before the microscopic examination, serial dilution, or other research.

Inoculation loops and needles are sterile, disposable devices designed for injection, serial dilution, clean sampling, and microbiological sample spreading. They are available in various materials, including polymers, aluminum, and other metals.

Disposable

Inoculating loops and needles are hand-held devices that introduce microorganisms into plated or tubed growth media before incubation, multiplication, and growth. They may be streaked onto or stabbed into solid agar-based media or introduced and dispersed into liquid media. They are also used for sampling and transferring small amounts of microorganisms for further investigation, microscopic examination, or serial dilution.

Inoculation loops and needles are available in various materials, including polymers, aluminum, and other metals. They are often color-coded, disposable, or both.

Sterile inoculating loops are made of medical-grade polypropylene (PP) and feature controlled flexibility to resist cutting agar surfaces yet provide sufficient firmness to pick stubborn colonies. They are ETO sterilized and packed in tamper-evident resealable bags.

The Fuego SCS pro sterilizes inoculating loops and needles without an open flame by heating them inside a quartz tube until it reaches their optimal temperature. It protects laboratory technicians from dangerous gases, pets, and splatters.

Nichrome wire

A nichrome wire inoculating loop is a standard instrument used primarily by microbiologists to pick up and transfer a small sample from a culture of microorganisms. It consists of a thin handle with a small loop about 5 mm wide or smaller at the end.

A nichrome loop is typically made of nickel-chromium or platinum wire. It is attached to a turret, which holds the wire.

Nichrome wire is less expensive than platinum wire and heats and cools rapidly. It is also less prone to corrosion and degradation.

It can be sterilized over a flame before it is used for injections. This process reduces the risk of contamination by aerosol generation, cross-contamination, and spattering.

These nichrome wire inoculating needles are available in 1-ul and 10-ul sizes. The flexible stems can be bent to access small-volume tubes and dishes. They are color-coded for easy identification.

Handle

Inoculating loops (smear loops, inoculation wands, or micro streakers) are simple tools most lab personnel use to pick up and transfer a small sample (inoculum) from a culture of microorganisms consists of a thin handle with a loop about 5 mm wide or smaller at the end.

The loop is typically made of nichrome wire, an alloy of nickel and chromium that heats and cools fast and does not rust easily. Nichrome is less expensive than platinum wire, and its high melting point makes it ideal for smear loop applications.

Inoculating loops are available in various shapes and sizes and can be either insulated or non-insulated. In addition to their slender handles, most inoculating loops feature stems that bend to access small-volume tubes and dishes and are color-coded for easy identification.