The Importance Of An Unknown Bacteria

The purpose of this lab was to identify two unknown bacteria from a mixed culture. The reason for identification of unknown bacteria was to help students recognize different bacteria through different biochemical tests and characteristics. This is important in the medical field because identification of unknown bacteria can help treat a patient by knowing the contributing source of a disease. Also knowledge of different bacteria helped others make antibiotics used today. This lab was completed by using the methods learned thus far in identification of bacteria.

The unknown bacteria plate chosen was plate #2. It was identified to be Micrococcus luteus. It is a gram positive, Coccus bacteria that is commonly found in dust, water, soil, and the air. M. luteus also thrives in the human mouth and upper respiratory tract. Sir Alexander Fleming discovered it in 1928 before he identified penicillin. It is part of the normal flora on human skin as well as other mammals. Since it is part of normal flora it is normally not pathogenic, but can become opportunistic in an immune-deficient person. It has been known to cause septic shock, UTI’s, and even pneumonia. Micrococcus luteus is both urease and catalase positive. It does not utilize tryptophan for indole production. It is a facultative anaerobe. Mobility is not present for this bacterium. Starch is also not hydrolyzed and oxidase is not present.

For many years the identification of microorganisms has been important in the world of medicine. It is essential or correct disease diagnosis in patients and for proper treatment. Knowing the correct identity and characteristics of microorganism is crucial when disease outbreaks occur in populations, also knowing how humans can benefit from microorganisms is important; many can be used in making certain foods or antibiotics.

The first result of importance was the result of the Gram stain. The observations of the unknown bacteria from the slant culture after Gram staining showed that the unknown bacteria were Gram negative bacilli (Image 1). After determining the unknown bacteria was Gram negative, an oxidase test was conducted on a sample from the slant culture. The cotton swap with the sample of bacteria did not change color when the oxidase reagent was applied, thus providing a negative result. With a negative oxidase test, further tests were conducted to determine various characteristics of the unknown bacteria. A MR-VP broth was inoculated with a sample from a slant culture of unknown bacteria. After incubation, the methyl red reagent was added to the broth, and the broth turned red, providing a positive result (Image 2). An EMB agar streak plate was inoculated with a sample from a slant culture of the unknown bacteria, and after incubation, growth was found on the plate, providing a positive result (Image 3). A Citrate agar slant was inoculated, and after incubation, growth was found on the media, providing a positive result (Image 4). A Urea agar slant was inoculated, and after incubation, the agar had changed from a peach color to a bright pink color, providing a positive result (Image 5). Using the flowchart (Figure 1) developed from the Table of Expected Results, the lab partners started at the oxidase test. Given the negative result of the oxidase test, the flowchart is

Often scientists work with bacteria that do not come in a labeled test tube— for example, bacterial samples taken from infected human tissue or from the soil—and the scientist must then identify the unknown microorganism in order to understand what behavior to expect from the organism, for example, a certain type of infection or antibiotic resistance. However, because of the relatively few forms of bacteria compared to animals and because of the lack of bacterial fossil records due to their asexually reproductive nature, the taxonomy used to classify animals cannot be applied to bacteria (Brown 275). In order to classify unknown bacteria, a variety of physiological and metabolic tests are available to narrow a sample down from the fathomless number of possibilities into a more manageable range. Once these tests have been performed, the researcher can consult Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, a systematically arranged and continually updated collection of all known bacteria based on their structure, metabolism, and other attributes.

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.

The first step toward identifying this unknown organism was to perform a Gram Stain to differentiate between gram positive and gram negative bacteria. This is an important step because it directs what the next tests will be. My Gram Stain on sample #12 showed that the bacteria was gram negative, however, after receiving the results of the OF glucose, H2S, Citrate, Urease and Motility tests, it was apparent that my Gram Stain was contaminated. I then performed a catalase test which came back negative, so I ordered a Bacitracin disc, Optochin disc and a CAMP test which had to be incubated overnight. After receipt of those test results,

The main idea of this experiment was to correctly identify the unknown bacteria, #3. Identification of unknown bacteria yields multiple benefits in many different areas in the research of microorganisms. In this experiment I performed many different test dealing with things such as the presence of enzymes, fermentation abilities and different chemical reactions. Observations made from the tests were then compared to a gram negative unknown chart in order to identify the bacteria. Based off of my results and the chart, I concluded the bacteria #3 was the bacteria Escherichia coli. E. coli is most commonly found in the intestines of warm blooded organisms. Most E. coli strands are non pathogenic however, there are strands

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.

There are many reasons for identifying an unknown bacterium. The purpose of this exercise was to identify an unknown bacterium from a liquid culture. We chose our unknown bacteria from a rack of test tubes with several different species of bacteria inside. I wanted to pick an unknown bacteria with a number easy to remember so I pick the test tube labeled “745”. Procedures were followed as stated in the lab manual written by Dr. Pedro J.A. Gutierrez.

The study of two unknown microorganisms was completed by using methods taught in the microbiology laboratory. The basis of the study was identification of those two microorganisms. Identification of the microorganisms is important in many aspects of medicine. Some of these include source of infection, proper treatment, and which antibiotics are effective against the microorganism present.

The best and most accurate way of identifying an unknown microorganism is by sequencing its DNA, but this is very expensive and only used in highly qualified labs. So, the identification of unknown bacteria number 63 was be done by putting the bacteria through numerous laboratory tests. Microorganisms are different among each other by their macroscopic morphology, microscopic morphology, and the unique metabolic processes they use to survive and reproduce. Identifying an unknown microorganism in the laboratory is important because knowledge is gained on the appropriate way to cultivate an organism, how to correctly read the result of a test, and learning about the different characteristics of the bacteria. All of the following tests were done using the best sterile technique and the most new turbid bacterial growth subculture.

Previously, detection and recognisation of bacteria were based on conservative tube-based biochemical reactions, and their results were compared to historical charts of expected biochemical reactions. Beacause of the need for quicker, simpler methods,

A highly conserved gene will be used to identify a prokaryotic species isolated from the body. Fundamental lab techniques will be also explored and utilized, such as amplifying using PCR, cloning, and transforming the gene into a host cell. DNA electrophoresis and specific substrate plating will serve as analysis check points. The final product will be sequenced and compared to similar species to observe phylogenetic relationships.

Can proper medication be identified within hours of admittance to a hospital? At the moment this is impossibility. The current gold standard for bacterial identification is for a body fluid sample to be collected, often blood, and sent to a lab for a bacterial culture and analysis. According to Midi Labs, the base price for bacterial identification is $99 with a return time of three days [1]. The analysis can be expedited; however, the costs associated with this increase considerably (the highest listed at $175). Because of this delay time, it is possible for the infection to become a bloodstream infection (BSI) and escalate to sepsis.