Microbiology Unknown Lab Report

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The study of microbiology requires not only understanding the microscopic organisms, but also the understanding of lab techniques and procedures used to identify, control, and manipulate microorganisms. The identification of microorganisms is not only important in microbiology lab, but also in the medical field to identify an agent of a disease that will help treat the patient by using the correct antibiotics to kill off the host. In this unknown lab report, techniques and procedures learned in the microbiology laboratory during the semester that was performed to test ones practical understanding of microbiology.
The sole purpose of the unknown lab is to demonstrate understanding of the experimental methods and lab techniques learned during
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The Mixed Broth culture contained two unknown bacterial cells and they either Gram-negative or Gram-positive. The procedures were followed as stated from the course laboratory manual by Meramec Community College (1). The first step was figuring out the unknowns was to separate the two bacteria. In order to do this, the Trypticase Soy agar was used. The streaking method was used to spread the bacteria across the Trypticase Soy agar to isolate the bacteria. In order to do the streaking method, an inoculating loop was sterilized with the Bunsen burner, and put into the unknown specimen then placed onto the TSA. After the plate was streaked it was then incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. The second step was observing the agar after incubation and identifying two different bacteria from the TSA. The third step after observation; was taking out the two bacteria with a sterilized loop and streaking it onto two Mueller Hinton plates. This allowed the separate colonies to grow further for testing. The fourth step was for the colonies to be gram stained and the procedure was performed as followed in the laboratory manual (1). The gram staining showed a result of Gram-negative rods. To interpret which biochemical tests to perform, the Gram positive and negative chart handed out by the professor was referred to. The different tests were preformed to …show more content…
The first step was to streak the bacterium with a sterilized look onto a Mueller Hinten plate. The MH plate was incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. Upon return and observation, the MH plate did not isolate the colony enough to be able to test the bacterium. The professor then handed an alternate 10 that was a pure culture to streak. It was with a sterilized loop that some of the pure culture was taken out and gram stained as directed by the laboratory manual (1). This was also incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for 48 hours and had an isolated colony. The gram stain showed clear purple gram-positive cocci. After getting a good gram stain the unknown chart were referred to in order to choose between appropriate biochemical tests. Referring to the unknown chart the three possible bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecalis. The first biochemical test was to preform the Urea test. A sample of the gram-positive cocci colony was taken out which then was transferred into a Urea broth to test for Urease. This was incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. The ending result was no color change, which was a negative reaction in the Urea broth. The results eliminated Staphylococcus epidermidis from being the bacteria in the specimen. This only left two candidates that were either Staphylococcus aureus or Enterococcus

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