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Bacterial infections of plants cause millions of dollars yearly in crop loss. One of these diseases is crown gall disease or "plant cancer." Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the bacterium that causes these tumors on susceptible plants. Students grow sunflower seed, inoculate the stems with the bacterium, and observe the development of plant tumors.

Beginning - Easy to perform; requires no experience in microbiology.

Bacterial infections of plants cause millions of dollars yearly in crop loss. One of these diseases is crown gall disease or "plant cancer." Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the bacterium that causes these tumors on susceptible plants. Students grow sunflower seed, inoculate the stems with the bacterium, and observe the development of plant tumors. The exercise takes 4 weeks from setup to completion. With teacher instructions. Note: Keep bacteria culture at room temperature; do not incubate or refrigerate. USDA permit is required for interstate transport of this culture. Culture is a plant pathogen and considered restricted, and may be obtained by completing a USDA PPQ Form 526, Application and Permit to Move Live Plant Pests or Noxious Weeds. This form is available from Customer Service (800.334.5551) or from our Web site at Carolina.com/usda. The permit approval process may take up to 30 days. International customers: Other permits may be required for restricted shipments; please contact us for more information.

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