Welcome to the Agar Plate Challenge – a hands-on microbiology game you can play right in your browser.
This page brings the classic Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion test into an interactive digital world. Instead of a real petri dish, agar, and antibiotic discs, you get a virtual plate where you can drag and drop antibiotic markers, move them around, and see how they would behave in a real microbiology lab.
It’s perfect for students of microbiology, medical laboratory science learners, biology teachers, or even just the curious gamer who wants to understand how bacteria, antibiotics, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) interact.
What is this game about?
In real microbiology labs, scientists use a round agar plate to test bacteria. Small antibiotic discs are placed on the agar surface, and as the bacteria grow, the antibiotic diffuses out from the disc. This creates a clear area called the zone of inhibition. Measuring that zone tells you whether the bacteria are sensitive, intermediate, or resistant to the drug.
This online simulation lets you experience the same test – but without lab coats, safety goggles, or petri dishes. Just grab a disc, drag it onto the plate, and see how it reacts.
Why antimicrobial resistance matters
We live in a world where antibiotics are not always effective anymore. Superbugs – bacteria that resist multiple antibiotics – are a global health challenge. Learning about AMR through games like this helps raise awareness in a simple, approachable way. When you drag a disc that shows “resistant,” you instantly see how dangerous it is when bacteria don’t respond to treatment.
How to play
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Pick a bacterium from the dropdown (E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas, etc.).
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Drag antibiotic discs from the stock area and drop them on the agar plate.
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Move discs around as if you were arranging them in a real lab.
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Incubate the plate to simulate bacterial growth.
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Measure the zones of inhibition to see if the bug is sensitive or resistant.
Why play the Agar Plate Challenge?
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Learn science by doing. Instead of reading a textbook paragraph about “antibiotic sensitivity testing,” you can actually move discs, measure zones, and understand it by sight.
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Safe, fun, and simple. No dangerous bacteria, no biohazards, no complicated lab equipment. Just your screen, your mouse, and your curiosity.
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Practice for exams. Perfect for microbiology students preparing for exams on antibiotics, susceptibility, or clinical microbiology.
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Great for teaching. Teachers can use it live in class to demonstrate antimicrobial testing. Students can try it themselves at home, on any device.
What can you expect from this Microbiology Simulation/Game:
This Agar plate game is more than just a petri dish on a screen – it’s a playful way to explore the Kirby–Bauer test where antibiotic discs reveal patterns of antimicrobial sensitivity and highlight the reality of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As zones of inhibition appear, the experience turns into a microbiology simulation that doubles as a biology learning game and a subtle form of antibiotic resistance education. Built as a drag-and-drop lab simulator, it works like a virtual lab that feels accessible yet realistic, making it an engaging science game for students, a versatile biology teaching tool, and an online microbiology experiment that serves as both entertainment and an educational simulation.
Who is it for?
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High school biology students who are learning about bacteria and antibiotics for the first time.
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University and college students in microbiology, nursing, pharmacy, and medicine.
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Teachers and professors looking for interactive ways to explain antimicrobial resistance.
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Science lovers who want to explore lab experiments in a safe and fun way.
This is more than a game – it’s a virtual science lab, a microbiology classroom tool, and an educational experience that makes one of the most important lab tests in medicine easy to understand. Whether you’re revising for a test, teaching a class, or just curious about the invisible microbial world, the Agar Plate Challenge is here to bring microbiology to life in an interactive, playful way.
So go ahead – drag, drop, measure, and learn. You’re not just playing a game. You’re exploring the science that protects us against infections every day.