Growing microbes (culturing) in the laboratory is a second method of studying microbes. Using food in culture tubes and/or petri dishes to grow microbes is called in-vitro procedures. Most of our laboratory activities will involve inoculation food with microbes and making later observations (batch procedure); some microbiology laboratories have staff who will continually add food and displace microbes. In some research laboratories, the microbiologists may involve living plants and animals--this is called in-vivo research. Many tests related to disease-causing microbes and development of anti-microbial drugs have involved the use of living organisms. Protectionist groups wishing to eliminate the use of living organisms in lab studies and research may hinder some valuable research in spite of their honorable intentions.

The equipment used in microbiology laboratories may be as simple as s sterile cotton-tipped swab to an automatic cell coulter-counter. Petri dishes and culture tubes are two commonly used containers for growing microbes. Petri dishes were first described by Richard Petri in 1887. This double-sided dish contained a top which could be used as a cover to prevent contamination. Petri dishes can be conveniently stacked and can be sterilized separately from the food. Inoculating loops, pipettes, colony and cell counters, incinerators or bunsen burners, staining racks, incubators, and autoclaves (sterilizers) are a few of the important pieces of equipment in most microbiology laboratories.