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If you've ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI) before, you know what a pain it can be. Not just because of the physical pains it causes, but because it can also be such a pain to go to the doctor, provide a urine sample, and wait for your results. UTIs are extremely common, with nearly half of women getting one at some point in their lifetime. In order to test for a UTI, a urine sample needs to be sent to a hospital microbiology lab. There, they will look for bacteria that cause infections and check if these bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. This is typically done by using a technique called agar plating. A small amount of urine is put on to a small round dish filled with a nutrient jelly called agar, which is kept warm overnight to allow any bacteria to grow. This common technique has been around for nearly 140 years and remains the clinical standard in many hospitals. If you've ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI) before, you know what a pain it can be. Not just because of the physical pains it causes, but because it can also be such a pain to go to the doctor, provide a urine sample, and wait for your results. UTIs are extremely common, with nearly half of women getting one at some point in their lifetime. In order to test for a UTI, a urine sample needs to be sent to a hospital microbiology lab. There, they will look for bacteria that cause infections and check if these bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. This is typically done by using a technique called agar plating. A small amount of urine is put on to a small round dish filled with a nutrient jelly called agar, which is kept warm overnight to allow any bacteria to grow. This common technique has been around for nearly 140 years and remains the clinical standard in many hospitals.