Day 12

Today we started off by examining the EMB plate and saw that it showed a slight green tint meaning our mystery bacteria was E. Coli, Dr. P confirmed that the mystery was solved correctly!

Next we performed part of the Immunodetective experiment, we tested for food purity (Test 3) by creating an Agar plate with various compartments to hold: Hamburger extract, Goat Anti-Bovine Albumin, Goat Anti-Horse Albumin, and Goat Anti-Swine Albumin. We placed small amounts of each Albumin into their respective compartments and let it incubate.

We then started to Identify HIV viruses. We first took our 12 well strip and placed 50 ul of the purified antigen into all of the 9 wells we are using. We then had to wait five minutes to let the antigen bind to the plastic wells.

 We then dumped out the antigen and washed the walls of the wells with a buffer and dabbed with paper towels upside down to make sure that it is all-dry.

Next we added the serum of the patient and the positive and the negative control to the wells. We then waited to allow for the antibodies to bind to the antigens.

We washed again, so all that remains in the tube is the antibodies that have bound; we are unable to see these! We added antihuman anti-body with enzymes attached to the wells.  If color is produced the patient has antibodies. For ours, only the positive turned blue meaning the patient has antibodies for aids.

After this, Dr. P made two new Agar plates. He went around and mixed all of our bacteria broths with water. He spread the bacteria water mixture on one Agar plate. Then he used UV light to kill the bacteria in the mixture. He then prepared an Agar plate with the mixture after UV radiation. He then placed these two plates in the incubator.

Then he preformed another experiment involving yogurt. He boiled milk and let it cool. Then placed a little bit of plane Greek yogurt into each tube and incubated them. Tomorrow we will have homemade yogurt! YUM!