Enterobacteriaceae

Introduction 1.1. Serratia Marcescens Serratia marcescens is a motile, rod-shaped, gram-negative anaerobic bacillus, that is a member of the genus Serratia, which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has become an important opportunistic pathogen associated with a number of life-threatening diseases and nosocomial infections (Hejazi and Falkiner, 1997). S. marcescens is known to have high survival capability under hostile conditions; it is commonly found in a number of disinfectants…

ABSTRACT: The Microbiology & Immunology Laboratory Unknown Identification Project is designed to test the students’ skills and knowledge of performing biochemical tests learned during the course of the lab. Students receive a numbered tube containing a mixed culture of two unknown organisms and are required to determine the identity of each microorganism by performing a series of biochemical tests of their choice. Unknown test tube #25 was obtained and streaked onto two agar plates to obtain…

1) Figure 1 shows the test results that was entered in to the Api system to give possible causes of a bacterial urinary infection. Three microorganisms where listed, Escherichia coli 1, Serratia odorifera and Klebsiella oxytoca but gave an unacceptable profile due to in all three cases failing to get negative result in the TDA test with detects the use of tryptophan deaminase activity and the NO₂ test, turning nitrates in to nitriles. E.coli is one of the most common causes of an urinary…

When people think of the “end of the world,” they usually imagine a world-ending meteor, rising tides that reach up into the tops of skyscrapers, or any other disaster that the creative minds at Hollywood have already made into a motion picture event. Yet, one apocalyptic event rarely pops into the minds of people when they imagine the end of mankind as we know it: superbugs. They are not giant insects, but rather, something much scarier. They are antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are unable to…

General Unknowns Bacterium Vitality en Vida Bacteria play a vital role in our daily lives. It is therefore our right to know the importance of being able to distinguish certain strains of bacteria. With the right knowledge we would be able to come up with a cure for a disease. An identity gives way to knowledge, to better understanding and access to information on how an organism works and how we can prevent its worsening effects or isolate its benefits. Scientists have been trying to…

Discussion: Each test is a pertinent contribution to drawing an educated conclusion. After performing the gram staining and observing which unknown culture was gram positive, a catalase test was performed. The catalase test allows lab workers to differentiate Staphylococci and Streptococci genus. The test was performed only on the gram-positive culture. Bacteria that respire by the use of oxygen, otherwise known as aerobic respiration, produce enzyme or “catalase”. This protects the bacteria…

Introduction Life could not exist without microorganisms: plants depend on microbes to obtain soil and cows need microorganisms to digest cellulose. Microbes degrade waste and they live in our bodies to keep us healthy. Microorganisms are also used to make vaccines and antibiotics. However, some bacteria are known for causing diseases such as the common cold, AIDS, Herpes, and Chicken Pox. Knowing the identity of microbes is essential for knowing the causative agent of a disease in order to…

An unknown sample #18 was obtained on November 6, 2017. The sample came in a glass test tube with a cotton swab that contain the unknown sample. To find the identity of the unknown sample, we had to conduct several biochemical tests to eliminate and narrow down possible organisms that fit the biochemical description to accurately identify our unknown organism of interest. These biochemical tests provided insight on the physical color retention of our unknown sample, and through’s the unknown…

Normal flora is the colonisation of human tissues by a diverse mixture of microorganisms. This colonisation begins at birth with pioneer species, depending on physiochemical factors. The normal flora inhibits the skin, oral cavity, upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, urogenital and conjunctival membranes. They are commensal bacteria; getting shelter and nourishment from the host without causing harm (Gould, 2012). To a healthy individual, most normal flora is harmless, however some…

Literature Review The majority of the literature agrees that antibiotic resistance is a serious issue that results mainly due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. This issue is causing a large financial impact on the health care system. A study conducted by Rajasekar, Guest, and Bodansky (2015), analyzed the medical records of 100 patients in order to ascertain whether or not these patients actually had illnesses that could be treated with antibiotics, or if the antibiotics were misused.…