If I don't have access to an autoclave, can I sterilize my equipment in a regular pot. If so, what time is needed at about 110°C (I measured inside) for a proper sterilization?
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It certainly can be done. Tyndallisation may as discussed on labmate may work well for your situation. If not, there are many other viable alternatives suggested.
**Tyndallisation: **
Developed partway through the 19th century by English physicist, John Tyndall, the eponymous Tyndallisation was a commonly used technique by the microbiologists of the 1800s. Tyndall experimented with boiling beef broths to develop a method to sterilise liquids in a safe and comprehensive manner.His research led him to the basic principles for Tyndallisation, a process by which medias are subjected to relatively short boils at a regular atmospheric pressure. This relatively straightforward method is still suitable for small labs, or research facilities which only require sterilised equipment part of the time.
It is not recommended to attempt to sterilise closed glass containers using this method, without lining them with cotton and capping them with foil – allowing for air to escape without being subjected to contaminants.
The process involves boiling fluids for 10-15 minutes before leaving to cool to room temperature and leaving it to sit for 24 hours. Repeat this process another three or four times, by which time sterilisation should have occurred.
Naturally this method has reduced in popularity due to the requirement to continue the process for up to five days to achieve sterilisation.
