Plating Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus strains in top agarose for plaque assays
Prepare base plates using 0.4% GIBCO LM agarose (0.4g agarose / 100 ml). 
Make up plates using filtered, autoclaved 75% Sargasso Sea Water (SSW). 
Add appropriate agarose, then microwave to a boil.  
Add appropriate nutrients to bring levels up to media of choice (SN, Pro99?)
Vortex / shake to mix nutrients thoroughly and asceptically pour plates in hood. 
Allow plates to sit overnight to solidify before adding top agarose. 
Prepare your cyanophage dilutions ahead of plating cells in top agarose by using media for dilutions in 5 ml Falcon tubes. 
Prepare top agarose as 0.5% GIBCO. 
Low-Melt agarose. 
Use filtered, autoclaved 75% SSW to make up plates.
Add appropriate agarose (0.5 g / 100 ml SSW) and microwave as above. 
Allow to cool in a pre-heated water bath to ~29°C (solidifies ~24-28°C).  
Asceptically add filter sterilized nutrients to bring level of top agarose nutrients to desired media of choice. 
Add appropriate volume of cells to top agarose, vortex to thoroughly mix and plate immediately. 
Inoculate a liquid culture using the same dilution chosen for the plates as an indicator of when the plates might turn green (within a few days of each other). 
Incubate all plates overnight at ~2-5 uE light without parafilming the plates to allow the top agarose to solidify completely. 
After the o/n incubation parafilm the plates (humidity control) and place at the appropriate light levels
