Spore Swabs — The Cleanest Way to Work With Spores

Spore swabs: the cleanest way to work with spores

Spore swabs are sterile cotton swabs pre-loaded with spores from a single Psilocybe cubensis strain. Take one swab out of the pack and it is ready to use immediately: no filling a syringe, no dosing liquid, no extra steps that can introduce contamination. The second swab stays sealed and sterile for your next project.

• Ready-to-use on agar plates or microscopy slides
• Maximum control inside a still-air box or flow hood
• Ideal for both beginners and advanced agar users
• Long shelf life when stored cool and dry (2–8°C)

How do you use a spore swab?

In short: open the sterile packaging in a clean environment, take out the swab and gently streak the tip over your prepared agar plate or microscopy slide. Want more than this quick overview? In our in-depth blog article we walk you step-by-step through using a swab for agar work, spore research, and mycelium selection.

• Step-by-step instructions
• Tips for agar, petri dishes, LME and parafilm
• Advice on storage, contamination and common beginner mistakes

Read the full guide: “What is a spore swab?”

Which spore format fits you best?

If you mainly work with agar, spore swabs are usually the best choice. Prefer liquid spores or live mycelium instead? Take a look at our spore vials, spore prints and Cloud920 liquid cultures as well.

• Spore swab – direct agar work, maximum hygiene, no preparation
• Spore vial – multiple inoculations from one vial, long shelf life
• Spore print – archive format, viable for years, most cost-efficient per strain
• Liquid culture (Cloud920) – active mycelium, fastest colonisation, lowest contamination risk