...Introduction: The microbiology of food and the environment are two very important fields in the large scope of microbiological research. Because microorganisms exist almost everywhere, it is important to determine the influences that they place on the food we depend on for survival, and the environment in which we humans call home. In this lab, we conducted five experiments in these two fields, and in doing so gained a better understanding of the influences and importance of microbes in food and the environment. The first exercise was the enumeration of soil microbes. This experiment showcased the immense diversity of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi found in soil. This diversity ranges from microbes that are beneficial to the environment by decomposing dead organic matter into energy sources usable by other organisms, to the pathogenic bacterial and fungal spores that can infect humans and animals alike. The techniques used are serial dilutions, which allow for quantification and a close estimation of the amount of said organisms found in a soil sample. (1) The second exercise that we conducted was the microbiology of water experiment. This is a very important standardized experiment used to determine the density of coliforms found in a 100 mL sample of water. It also can be used more specifically to determine the density of Escherichia coli, which can cause food poisoning amongst other illnesses. The techniques used are the multiple tube fermentation method, which involves...
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...ANDREY SMITHJUNE 23, 2015 Eighteen vials were rocking back and forth on a squeaky mechanical device the shape of a butcher scale, and Mark Lyte was beside himself with excitement. ‘‘We actually got some fresh yesterday — freshly frozen,’’ Lyte said to a lab technician. Each vial contained a tiny nugget of monkey feces that were collected at the Harlow primate lab near Madison, Wis., the day before and shipped to Lyte’s lab on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus in Abilene, Tex. Lyte’s interest was not in the feces per se but in the hidden form of life they harbor. The digestive tube of a monkey, like that of all vertebrates, contains vast quantities of what biologists call gut microbiota. The genetic material of these trillions of microbes, as well as others living elsewhere in and on the body, is collectively known as the microbiome. Taken together, these bacteria can weigh as much as six pounds, and they make up a sort of organ whose functions have only begun to reveal themselves to science. Lyte has spent his career trying to prove that gut microbes communicate with the nervous system using some of the same neurochemicals that relay messages in the brain. Inside a closet-size room at his lab that afternoon, Lyte hunched over to inspect the vials, whose samples had been spun down in a centrifuge to a radiant, golden broth. Lyte, 60, spoke fast and emphatically. ‘‘You wouldn’t believe what we’re extracting out of poop,’’ he told me. ‘‘We found that...
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...Motility Testing Cynthia Alonzo, M.S. Version 09-2.01 Read the entire experiment and organize time, materials, and work space before beginning. Remember to review the safety sections and wear goggles when working with chemicals. Objectives: To learn flagellar structure and arrangements common in microbes, and To use direct observation and testing to determine if a given microbe is motile. Materials From: Label or Box/Bag: Qty Item Description: Student Provides 1 Microscope 1 Paper Clip 1 10%-bleach Solution 1 Paper towels From LabPaq 1 Gloves packages - 11 pairs 1 Immersion Oil 1 Slide - Cover Glass - Cover Slip Cube (4) Culture Media Bag #2 - Refrigerate upon Receipt Culture Media Bag #2 - Refrigerate upon Receipt 2 Agar, 0.4% Motility Test Agar - 8 mL in Glass Tube Inoculation Instruments Inoculation Instruments 1 Inoculation Loop, Plastic Mask Bag Mask Bag 1 Mask with Earloops (11) in Bag 5" x 8" Slide Box MBK Slide Box MBK 1 Slide-Box-MBK with Blank-Slides (4) Pre-Lab Preparation: Place saved cultures of E. coli and S. epidermidis (from previous lab) in incubator 12-24 hours prior to the start of the experiment. Discussion and Review: Many bacteria are capable of motility, the ability to move under their own power. Most motile bacteria propel themselves by special organelles termed flagella. The bacterial flagellum is a noncontractile, semi-rigid, helical tube composed of protein and anchors to the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane...
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...MicroBiology- MLT1 LabPaq / Published by: Hands-On Labs, Inc. sales@labpaq.com / www.LabPaq.com / Toll Free 866.206.0773 A Laboratory Manual of Small-Scale Experiments for the Independent Study of Microbiology 50-0222-MB-01 LabPaq® is a registered trademark of Hands-On Labs, Inc. (HOL). The LabPaq referenced in this manual is produced by Hands-On Labs, Inc. which holds and reserves all copyrights on the intellectual properties associated with the LabPaq’s unique design, assembly, and learning experiences. The laboratory manual included with a LabPaq is intended for the sole use by that LabPaq’s original purchaser and may not be reused without a LabPaq or by others without the specific written consent of HOL. No portion of any LabPaq manual’s materials may be reproduced, transmitted or distributed to others in any manner, nor may be downloaded to any public or privately shared systems or servers without the express written consent of HOL. No changes may be made in any LabPaq materials without the express written consent of HOL. HOL has invested years of research and development into these materials, reserves all rights related to them, and retains the right to impose substantial penalties for any misuse. Published by: Hands-On Labs, Inc. 3880 S. Windermere St. Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: Denver Area: 303-679-6252 Toll-free, Long-distance: 866-206-0773 www.LabPaq.com E-mail: info@LabPaq.com Printed...
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...Lab Write Up Identifying an Unknown Microbe Gregory Howard 10E The isolation I was given two unknown microbes and asked to identify them. The first step was to isolate each microbe. I did this by using the streak method to apply each microbe to an enrichment culture. The enrichment culture provides conditions to enhance growth of a species. Obataining a pure culture makes it easier to identify and study a particular species. The macconkey agar plate which is used to isolate and differentiate members of the enterobacteriace based on its ability to ferment lactose. Macconkey agar w/o crystal violet or bile will only grow gn rods which inhibits the growth of gp cocci. Columbia can agar plate which is a medium that allows growth of gp orgs especiall staphylococci, streptococci, and enterococci and inhibits the growth of gn orgs. After both plates where streaked they where incubated at 35 degress celcius for 48 hours. The Gram Stain Next I performed a gram stain to detect differences between microbes or differences in structure of the same microbe. This being my first time I ever gram stained false results could be because of poor staining techniques. Usina a modern light microscope I observed each microbe that grew on its agar plate of interest. Through my gram staining and visual observation I came to the conclusion that the macconkey agar plate grew enterobacteriace , a GN rod shape org and the org that grew on the Columbia can plate resembled a cocci due to its cluster...
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...Microbiology Exam 3 Amber E. Baity Excelsior College 1.Blood isolated from an emergency room patient contains antibodies against the measles virus. Please explain whether or not the patient should be quarantined immediately because they are infected with the measles virus and why? What are the other plausible explanations for anti-measles antibodies in the patient’s blood? Though this could appear a critical situation, this patient does not need to be quarantined, as we do not know if the antibodies present in his body are from a current infection or due to a vaccination. Measles and mumps antibodies are virus-specific proteins produced by the immune system in response to an infection by the measles or mumps virus, or in response to vaccination. There are two types of antibodies produced, IgM and IgG. The first type to appear in the blood after exposure or vaccination is IgM antibodies. Levels of IgM antibodies increase for several days to a maximum concentration and then begin to taper off over the next few weeks. IgG antibodies take a bit longer to appear, but once they do, they stay in the bloodstream for life, providing protection against re-infection. When measles or mumps IgG antibody is present in a person who has been vaccinated and/or is not currently ill, then that person is protected against infection (immune). If a person does not have measles or mumps IgG antibodies, then they are not considered immune to the viruses. This may be because they have not been...
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...Hypothetically, transmittance of pathogenic attributes of pathogenic microbes to non-pathogenic microbes is the most dangerous form of genetic engineering in BW. With current knowledge of genetics, micro and molecular biology lies a vast amount of information of several genes and proteins that makes some pathogens so dangerous. That knowledge could potentially be used to mimic those genes into various species of bacteria and viruses that are currently non-pathogenic or have relatively low virulence to create a new repertoire of pathogens. Despite the scare, there are some difficulties that lie in transferring pathogenic attributes of one species or strain to another. Adding a certain pathogenic factor from a pathogenic microbe may not actually...
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...Yeast Culture Lab I. Introduction 1. Yeasts are eukaryotic, unicellular fungi that inhabit liquid or moist habitats. They are heterotrophs and rely on complex organic substances for nutrition. Yeasts require oxygen for aerobic cellular respiration but some are also anaerobic with alternative aerobic methods for producing energy. They do not require light to grow and their temperature range varies which means they can survive in a multitude of different environments. Very common, they can be found anywhere, from occurring on the skins of fruits to residing in the intestinal tracts of animals as parasites. The most common method of reproduction for yeasts is asexual reproduction through budding. In this process, the parent cell’s nucleus splits and forms a daughter nucleus. The daughter cell grows on the parent cell until it is large enough to separate. Through cytokinesis, this ‘bud’ then forms a new cell. Less common is the method of sexual reproduction in which spores are formed. In this lab, I will be culturing four yeast samples under different conditions. The goal is to study the effects of limited reproduction, additional resources (nutrition) and predation on the yeast population. Yeasts play a very important role not only by serving as nutrient recyclers in nature, but by also being important for the food industry because they can convert carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and alcohols through fermentation. They are also used in cell biology research and produce ethanol...
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...Yeast Culture Lab BIO/315 April 22, 2014 Annissa Furr Yeast Lab Yeast, is a microscopic one celled organism that belongs to the group of organisms that is called fungi. They are single celled organisms that have a scientific name of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast can have many purposes but the main purpose of yeast is to help the fermentation process. Yeast is a living organism known as a fungus and it gets its energy source from sugar. Yeast can also be used in creating certain medical intentions that heal wounds and reduce inflammation because of the large amount of hormones and enzymes. In reference to yeast reproduction depends on the type of species because they can be either asexual by mitosis or sexual by budding. Consumption talked about the use and rate of use of a primary consumer that needs photosynthesis in order to create energy from CO2. Death is in reference to a population and refers to the toll of death in a population. Hypothesis This labs main objective is to test cultures referring to yeast. The hypothesis is that the yeast will grow in all the environments that it is placed in but it will thrive in the environment that has sugar that is because yeast uses sugar as an energy sources naturally which will make the yeast generate more. The yeast could be identical in all the environments but most likely the situation will be that the yeast grows rapidly in the sugar. This hypothesis needs to be tested and in order to do that their...
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...proper cleaning agents. To insure that cross contamination of harmful microbes does not occur, certain steps need to be followed to take cleanliness down to the microscopic level, where the cause of the problem actually originates. Current practices of popular cleaners often instruct the user to spray on, wait 30 seconds, and wipe. They also do little to stop cross contamination as the user moves from one container to the next. For containers, airplanes, and intermodal vehicles that go all over the world, the simple act of “cleaning” with a less powerful agent could actually be the cause of a disease jumping from one country to the next. The current practices of using alcohol-based Simple Green, or similar products, instead of the more powerful chlorine dioxide could be a legal problem due to the to the lack of disinfecting properties required by insurance and governing policies. School buses play a major role in the intermodal world we live in. The public transportation network moves millions of people around the world in vehicles that are prime targets for the growth of microbials such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. About Microbes within Athletic Facilities Microbial populations of viruses, bacteria, and fungi are among the oldest living things on earth. They require very little to grow--moisture, specific temperature, and a food or energy source are all it takes to get them going. For some microbes, their food source can be anything from which they derive energy. Some...
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...Yeast Culture Lab Introduction Yeast is a one-celled, microscopic organism, which is part of the fungi kingdom. Yeasts do not make up a single group (Smith & Smith, 2012). Yeasts use organic material as a means of making energy, which make them chemoorganotrophs (Smith & Smith, 2012). Carbon is procured primarily from hexose sugars, such as fructose and glucose. Yeast need either oxygen for aerobic cellular respiration or for species that are anaerobic, but also have aerobic methods creating energy (Smith & Smith, 2012). There are no species of yeast species that are known to grow only anaerobically. Yeasts thrive in an environment with a slightly acidic (Smith & Smith, 2012). The reproductive cycle of yeasts can be either asexual or sexual depending on the species. The most widely seen method of growth in yeast is asexual reproduction referred to as budding (Smith & Smith, 2012). Reproduction in reference to yeast depends on the species; the species can be both asexual by mitosis and sexual by budding (Smith & Smith, 2012). Consumption refers to use and the rate of use of something such as how a consumer, such as a primary consumer like a tree would use photosynthesis to make energy from carbon dioxide. Death in reference to a population is referring to the rate of death in that population (Smith & Smith, 2012). Hypothesis The primary goal of the yeast culture lab is to test a theory involving samples of yeast cultures grown...
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...Take Home Test #1 1) What bacteria can be found associated with human breast milk in the typical, normal situation? Bacteria that can be found in human breast milk are very diverse. The typical bacteria that are found in human breast milk have the genus of: Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Kocuria, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium, Rothia, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Weissella (Leónides). According to Dr. Leónides and his expertise colleagues, the most popular of the bacteria that are found within human breast milk are: Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus and Lactobacillus. The specific types of Staphylococcus found are: aureus, capitis, epidermidis, hominis. The specific types of Streptococcus found are: mitis, oris, parasanguis, salivarius. The specific types of Bifidobacterium are: adolescentis, bifidum, breve, breve, and longum. Next, the specific types of Enterococcus are: faecalis and faecium, Lastly, the specific types of Lactobacillus are: plantarum and fermentum. (Leónides) According to Dr. Fernandez Leónides and his collegues, studies have shown that certain bacteria in breast milk benefits infants. For example, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Bifidobacterium, can sometimes benefit newborns through breastfeeding. The exposure to these bacteria can protect against diarrhea, respiratory diseases, and even reduce the risk of developing other diseases ...
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...Title: Biotechnology Introduction: The purpose of this lab report is to demonstrate more safe and effective ways to genetically-engineer natural flora of pest insects in order to create a recently discovered insecticidal protein. The indole test was used in this lab. This test determines whether the microbe produces indole from the amino acid tryptophan. The media used are the Sulfide-Indole-Motility (SIM) medium and Tryptone broth medium. This is very essential in the field of microbiology because it has a content that limits bacterial swimming. Procedure: What I did first was to inocule the tryptone broth at 37 degrees Celsius and click on the “Next Day” button, then I retrieved the sample and added Kovac’s reagent with the dropper tool. After wards I inoculated the Phenol Red Mannitol Broth and clicked the “Next Day” button. I continued to do the same thing for the Methyl Red Test and added the methyl red reagent. Observation and Results: Based on the experiment, the reagents produce a cherry-red ring floating above the culture medium. The cherry-red ring indicates that the test was positive. However, if it was negative, the ring would have been yellow. Discussion: The red cherry ring specifies that the tests are positive. The reason for this is because I added Kovac’s reagent to the SIM cultures. Some of the bacteria have the ability of deamination for its amino acids because it has the enzyme tryptophanase, leading to the hydrolxation of tryptophan...
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...Weekly iLab iLab: Exploring the Microbiology Lab FirstName Tiffani_LastName: Whitehead Section 1 Lab Safety 1. There are four safety equipment items that a lab should have. Identify two of these four items. (2 pts) Biological Safety Cabinet, Eyewash and shower 2. Identify one of the three ways to keep your work area safe. (1 pt) Keep your workspace free of all unnecessary materials 3. There are five recommendations for dressing properly in a lab environment. Name two of these recommendations. (2 pt) Avoid loose fitting items of clothing, Wear appropriate shoes sandals are not allowed. 4. There are several safety tips to protect one’s mucous membranes and broken skin. Identify one of the recommended tips. (1 pt) Do not apply makeup, put in contact lenses, or otherwise perform activities that might introduce lab organisms to your personal space. 5. When working in a microbiology lab, it is important to contain spills and discard materials properly. Describe how a spill should be cleaned up safely in a microbiology lab. (3 pts) 1. Wear a lab coat, disposable gloves, safety glasses or a face shield, and if needed, approved respiratory equipment. 2. Soak a paper towel(s) in an appropriate disinfectant (70% ethanol or fresh 10% bleach solution) and place around the spill area. 3. Working from the outer edges into the center, clean the spill area with fresh towels soaked in the disinfectant. Be sure to decontaminate any areas or surfaces that...
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...* Brief Summary * Microbial communities present in the Gulf of Mexico rapidly responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Oceanospirillales, Colwellia, and Cycloclasticus were members of the community that initially dominated in the deep-water plume samples. This changed when the well was capped and the group that dominated was methanotrophs or oil-degraders. None of the initial groups were found in the surface water samples, instead bacteria such as Alphaproteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were found to be the most abundant organisms in these collected samples. This suggests that the temperature of the water plays a direct role in how the microbial community responds to hydrocarbons. Another defense for the role of temperature would be the abundance of growth of Colwellia when incubated at 4oC compared to the minimal growth when incubated at room temperature. In laboratory conditions, Colwellia was the main organism that incorporated Carbon 13 in SIP experiments and given its abundance in the sample, it is likely that Colwellia was active in ethane and propane oxidation in situ. Colwellia was also capable of incorporating Carbon 13 benzene, and its abundance in crude oil without natural gas suggests that Colwellia has a wide range of abilities to be able to degrade multiple kinds of hydrocarbons. The fact that Colwellia could grow from ethane and propane, and to a lesser extent, Oceanospirillales, suggests that the high natural gas content in the spill was advantageous...
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