Abstract: Serratia marcescens, which two decades ago was considered a harmless bacterium, is causing infections that are becoming progressively difficult to treat with antibiotics. These bacteria have grown resistant to certain antibiotics and in this experiment, we tested how S. marcescens reacted to 6 different antibiotics. My colleagues and I swabbed a mixture of nutrient broth and Serratia marcescens onto an agar plate containing 6 antibiotic tablets and let the plate sit for a week. We then measured each tablet's zone of inhibition (ZOI) and pooled our data together. It was determined that the bacteria were most resistant to Ampicillin with an average ZOI of 7.6 mm, and least resistant to Nalidixic Acid with an average ZOI of 31.8 mm. Biologically, resistance to antibiotics is due to inhibited enzymes or structural altercations of the protein. Serratia marcescens showed a different level of resistance to each antibiotic tested. Antibiotic resistance is dangerous for immunocompromised individuals that become infected. It is important that doctors educate patients about proper antibiotic use so antibiotic resistance can begin to decline or slow.
Introduction: In the last few decades, Serratia marcescens has caused various infections and has proven dangerous when left untreated. It is a gram-negative bacillus that has been …show more content…
marcescens was most resistant to Ampicillin and least resistant to Nalidixic Acid. This aligns with my individual data. For Streptomycin, the mean zone of inhibition was 21.9 mm, and the standard deviation was 3.99. For Chloramphenicol, the mean was 24.8 mm, and the SD was 5.03. For Nalidixic Acid, the mean was 31.8 mm, and the SD was 2.55. For Kanamycin, the mean was 22.1 mm, and the SD was 1.49. For Gentamycin, the mean was 24.9 mm, and the SD was 2.95. For Ampicillin, the mean was 7.6 mm, and the SD was 2.68. Standard error was calculated for each antibiotic and represented on the graph with 1SE error
Introduction: In the last few decades, Serratia marcescens has caused various infections and has proven dangerous when left untreated. It is a gram-negative bacillus that has been …show more content…
marcescens was most resistant to Ampicillin and least resistant to Nalidixic Acid. This aligns with my individual data. For Streptomycin, the mean zone of inhibition was 21.9 mm, and the standard deviation was 3.99. For Chloramphenicol, the mean was 24.8 mm, and the SD was 5.03. For Nalidixic Acid, the mean was 31.8 mm, and the SD was 2.55. For Kanamycin, the mean was 22.1 mm, and the SD was 1.49. For Gentamycin, the mean was 24.9 mm, and the SD was 2.95. For Ampicillin, the mean was 7.6 mm, and the SD was 2.68. Standard error was calculated for each antibiotic and represented on the graph with 1SE error