MODEL RELEASED. Culturing anaerobic bacteria. Laboratory worker examining a petri dish that was used to culture human tissue samples. The cultures have been grown in an oxygen-free glove box that has to be accessed through the arm holes seen here. The lack of oxygen promotes the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Any bacteria or other micro- organisms found growing in the petri dish will need to be identified. The petri dishes contain nutrient media on which micro-organisms will grow if placed in the right conditions. The tissues being tested range from blood to bone.