An inoculating loop can be used to transfer bacteria. It is sterilised by heating it to red hot in a Bunsen flame, before and after use. To inoculate the agar, lift the lid of the Petri dish and tilt.

It was quite a victory, then, when English physician Edward Jenner developed an inoculation against smallpox ... some kind of pathogen—a virus or bacteria or some other agent that causes disease.

More information: Logan P. Woodward et al, Soil inoculation with nitrogen‐fixing bacteria to supplement maize fertilizer need, Agronomy Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1002/agj2.21729 ...