Introduction:
The study conducted was to determine the unknown bacterium that was given by the Microbiology lab instructor. The purpose of this exercise is to go through a series of testing in order to identify a microorganism, how it grows, reproduces and how the bacteria can be treated and killed. The techniques involved in this study included; what type of agar to use, inoculating, proper sterilization, gram staining and how to handle bacteria in order to avoid contamination.
Materials and Methods:
The patient in questioned presented with symptoms of painful urination for the past 2 weeks accompanied by lower back pain and fever. The fever didn’t appear until two days ago. The patient, 17 years of age and female stated that she wasn’t sexually active until 2 months ago. The patient file documented that a blood sample was taken and that the patient had an unknown bacterium. Listed below are the tests ran in order to determine the unknown bacterium.
¬ MacConkey Agar
The MacConkey Agar is a selective and differential medium that is used to determine whether or not the bacteria can ferment lactose. The bile salts and crystal inhibits growth for gram-positive bacteria and cause color change. In this case there was no color change, but there was growth. This indicates a gram-negative bacterium. Upon further inspection, the pigment of the growth on the agar plate was beige with a circular colony form. The bacteria appeared raised, smooth and translucent. A sample of the
An unknown bacterium was handed out by Dr. Honer. The appropriate tests were prepared and applied. The first procedure that was done was the gram stain. Under a microscope, if the gram stain is purple, the bacterium is gram positive, if the stain is red, it is gram negative. The next test was the fermentation tests for glucose, sucrose and
There are many reasons for knowing the identity of microorganisms. The reasons range from knowing the causative agent of a disease in a patient, so as to know how it can be treated, to knowing the correct microorganism to be used for making certain foods or antibiotics. This study was done by applying all of the methods that have been learned so far in the microbiology laboratory class for the identification of unknown bacteria. The identification process can be completed with a series of deferential stains and biochemical tests. Creating a dichotomous key helps to limit the amount of biochemical tests done on an unknown organism and by observation
This experiment was conducted to find the genus and species of an unknown bacteria prescribed by the lab teacher, which was unknown bacteria GA3 in my case. Identification of unknown bacteria techniques are used on an every day basis to figure out what type of bacteria it is and to find the best method of how to treat a patient with this bacteria (1). All five “I’s” of Microbiology were used in the testing for the unknown culture. Inoculation was used several times to put the unknown culture into agar plates or into biochemical test tubes. After Inoculation of these tubes or plates, they always were placed into the incubator for further growth and development. Isolation was used to make sure we got the correct bacteria we were testing for. After each further isolation, we gram stained the culture and inspected the culture under a microscope to further help in the identification process of the unknown bacteria. Multiple tests were done on the unknown culture to make sure we were confident in what kind of bacteria the unknown was.
A Dichotomous Key was studied to identify bacteria and their relationships. Some of the organisms at the end of the Dichotomous Key had viable characteristics that separate them from different groups, and those that did not students learned how to further classify them. A Dichotomous Key is used to narrow down the search for the unknown organism tested. It is organized by phenotypic characteristics of organisms and conducts a systematic way of identifying the other unknowns. In the lab students were given a tube labeled with a number. Instructions were given to conduct a Gram stain to begin the search followed by the use of a Dichotomous Key and photos as resources to carry out the search. Instructions read to isolate and identify the unknown bacterium with both differential and selective tests to positively identify the given unknown organism. Differential tests used specifically for this unknown microorganism was BEA (Bile Esculin Agar), which interpreted results by the hydrolysis of esculin when the media is blackened around
The purpose of this lab was to identify two unknown bacteria cultures using various differential tests. The identification of these unknown cultures was accomplished by separating and differentiating possible
After the multitude of tests performed, it was determined that the bacterial unknown was Staphylococcus aureus. The gram stain slide was positive. The morphology and arrangement was grape like cocci clusters. On the glucose fermentation test the bacterial unknown tested positive for acid and negative for gas. The oxidase test was negative. The bacterial unknown tested positive for catalase. In the litmus milk medium a K or alkaline reaction was observed. It tested negative for urea hydrolysis. The bacterial unknown tested positive for nitrite. On the Kigler 's iron agar media it tested negative for gas, positive for glucose, positive for lactose, and negative for hydrogen sulfide. On the SIM medium media it tested negative for indole, negative for hydrogen sulfide, and negative for motility. The bacterial unknown tested negative for methyl red. It tested negative for Voges-Proskauer. It tested negative for citrate. It tested
Citrobacter Freundii is a species of bacteria that can be potentially harmful to humans. It is known to cause meningitis by protruding into the brain and replicating itself (1). The Citrobacter species has also been found as a cause of some urinary tract infections, diarrhea, and even gastrointestinal diseases and symptoms (3). C. Freundii can be located in a wide variety of soils and water (3). Lastly, it is also the cause of many nosocomial infections due to its presence in water (1).
After gaining some knowledge about bacteria, we were giving an investigating bacteria growth lab to do. Our objective was to observe the conditions required for bacteria to grow and to test the effectiveness of substances that may be antibacterial, disinfecting, and or sanitizing. My group and I began our procedure by gathering all the bacteria by swabbing our necks and mouths. After this, we inoculated the culture by rubbing the bacteria on the agar, a nutrient rich gel made from sea kelp, on the bottom side of the container where we grow bacteria, the Petridish. We hoped for the results to come back with little or even no colonies and an immense zone of inhibition around the tiny circle cut out of filter paper covered in toothpaste, Neosporin, and Chlorhexidine Gluconate 4% Solution.
Microorganisms are both beneficial and harmful. These microorganisms are important to humans because they play a role in the ecology of life, by decomposing wastes, both natural and man-made, such as creating nitrogen fertilizer at the root zones of certain crops. Other several pathogens that can cause serious harm, even immediate death due to the diseases or disease causing products they produce. Overall, microorganisms play an important role in life.
In this lab experiment, students had to create a growth curve for E. coli. The E. coli growth curve would illustrate the progression of the population of E. coli a set time period. In this case, the growth curve depicted the population of E. coli over a 12-hour period. The growth curve for E. coli was created from the absorbance levels, the optical density(OD), recorded from the spectrophotometer.
In the world of microbiology it is vitally important to be able to discern the identities of microorganisms. Not only is it important in a lab setting but as well as in healthcare in general. Properly identify what strain of bacteria a person has will aid in the proper medicine and dose given. Throughout the semester we have learned about different types of bacteria and certain test that can clearly identify them. The purpose of this lab report is to identify a Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacterium. Using all the knowledge of procedures and lab techniques identify the unknown and discuss all the tests you performed.
|MSA Agar |For organisms that are |Isolates for mannitol fermentation |Yellow color change in |Staphylococcus aureus |
MacConkey agar is a selective agar which is a good medium to use for E. coli since it does not contain bile salt and crystal violet, it contains a PH indicator which gives it colour red, it is also a disaccharide known as lactose. Lactose is a sugar molecule that is derived from Galactose and glucose . MRS agar was developed by de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe who decided it was best to have a different media which can be used for cultivating bacteria, this media is nonselective and lactobacillus can grow on it, they found out that acetate and citrate helps the growth of lactobacillus (De MAN, ROGOSA, and SHARPE, 1960). Gram staining was first used by Hans Christian Gram who devised this method to help identify bacteria, Gram positive bacteria have a bigger peptidoglycan and smaller lipid content in comparison to Gram negative bacteria. This was first tested in 1882 and later published in 1884, it the most common technique used by microbiologist. Being able to manipulate bacteria gives us an advantage to understand its structure, function, time taken to asexually reproduce etc. This information can be used to either coming close to curing the bacteria or changing the bacteria to
6. With one hand, take the inoculating loop and pass it through the flame until it is red- 7. With the other hand, open one of the Petri dishes slightly.
Introduction: Through the conduction of numerous experiments, the identity of two bacterial isolates was determined. The tested specimen was an unknown sample of a mixed culture of two different species of bacteria. The first step that was taken was obtaining a pure culture of each species of bacteria by isolating one species from the other. Once isolation was complete, the isolated cultures were tested using procedures that had been performed during previous lab sessions. A gram stain was performed on the two isolates. The isolate which had tested gram negative was then tested for the presence of cytochrome C and lactose fermentation. For the gram positive isolate, cell shape was determined and a catalase test was performed.