Petri dishes have been a laboratory staple for over a century. Before their invention in the late 1800s, bacteriologists used bell jars to grow cultures—a far cry from the efficient design we rely on today. Developed in 1887 by Julius Richard Petri while working with Robert Koch, the modern Petri dish was created to reduce airflow contamination, protecting specimens while keeping them easily accessible for researchers.
Over the years, the basic design has remained largely unchanged until recent advances in biotechnology spurred new innovations. Today, Petri dishes are available in a variety of materials and styles to suit diverse research needs. At their core, most Petri dishes are 100 mm in diameter, made from polystyrene or borosilicate glass, and feature a clear base with an overhanging lid. While many of these dishes are disposable, glass versions offer the option of reuse.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most commonly available types of Petri dishes offered by GMP Plastics, helping you choose the perfect labware for your experiments.
Specialty Petri Dishes: Slippable vs. Stackable
Petri dishes generally come in two main designs: slippable and stackable.
Slippable Petri Dishes
- Smooth Bottom Edges: Designed for automated handling systems, slippable dishes can be easily moved from one location to another.
- Integrated Markings: These dishes typically include arrows and ISO mark targets for quick recognition.
- Versatile Lid Options: Depending on the application, they may come with or without a skirt on the lid.
- High-Quality Standards: Like all GMP Plastics labware, these dishes are sterile-packed, optically clear, and free of nucleases.
- Ideal for Automation: If you’re planning an automated streaking protocol, consider our in-house 100 × 15 mm slippable Petri dishes, which match the quality of top brands at a competitive price.
Stackable Petri Dishes
- Raised Bottom Edges: Designed for manual handling, stackable dishes allow for orderly stacking and storage.
- Skirted Lids: These make it easy to remove the lid with one hand.
- Cost-Effective: For operations where automated handling isn’t required, stackable dishes offer a more economical option. Compare our in-house 100 × 15 mm stackable dishes for your lab needs.
Enhanced Features: Vented Lids for Superior Gas Exchange
For mammalian cell cultures, proper gas exchange is essential. Petri dishes with vented lids feature ribbing along the inner edge to prevent a complete seal when covered. This design promotes enhanced gas exchange, making these dishes ideal for experiments where maintaining a controlled atmosphere is critical. Many of our specialty plates, including rimless and slippable options, incorporate this feature.
Deep Dishes: More Space for Complex Experiments
Sometimes, you need extra room to work. Deep Petri dishes offer additional height between the lid and the sample, providing the extra space required for tasks such as seedling growth or handling bulkier specimens. GMP Plastics offers extra deep dish plates with a height of 25 mm—perfect for experiments that require more vertical space for enhanced growth or easier handling.
Treated vs. Untreated and Coated Plates
Treated Plates
- Enhanced Cell Adhesion: Treated with low-frequency plasma before packaging, these plates have modified surface properties that promote cell adhesion.
- Ideal for Immortalized Cell Lines: While many cell lines will thrive on standard polystyrene, treated plates can offer benefits for certain applications.
Coated Plates
- Optimized for Primary Cell Cultures: For primary cells that require an attachment medium, plates coated with collagen or poly-D-lysine can significantly improve cell adhesion.
- Special Dimensions: Our 90 × 20 mm uncoated culture dishes are slightly smaller and deeper than standard plates, making them particularly effective for freshly plated cells.
Whether you follow conventional protocols or experiment with new methods, having the right surface treatment can make a crucial difference in your cell culture outcomes.
Divided Plates: Compare Treatments Side by Side
Divided Petri dishes allow you to test multiple treatments simultaneously, such as comparing different antibiotics on bacterial cultures. Available in two-way, three-way, and four-way configurations, these dishes are ideal for experiments that require side-by-side comparisons. For instance, recent studies on the thermal pain response in nematode worms utilized four-way divided plates to evaluate thermal receptor stimulation effectively.
Explore More Specialty Plates with GMP Plastics
The options don’t stop here. You may need plates with unique features, such as a convex grid for easier cell counting or specific vented lids to optimize your experiments. GMP Plastics offers a wide range of Petri dishes in various diameters and designs to meet your precise laboratory requirements.
Check out our complete catalog to explore all available options and find the perfect Petri dish to enhance your research workflow.
