Day 13

Today we once again observed the EMB plate after incubating for a little while longer and confirmed again that it was E. Coli because of the green sheen.

We then discussed the different tests that hospitals run to determine different diseases, the different plates to use, colors to look for and thus we connected all the dots of things we learned this mini session. These charts below can help lay out the results for different bacterial infections and diagnosing them.

Here are a couple of points he stressed:

·      Conformation is always immunodiagnostics testing and PCR testing which is when you amplify the DNA of the bacteria. If the bacteria bind when run against unknown bacteria it is a confirmation.

·      Coliforms are lactose fermenter, which can be used to look for shigella or salmonella if a patient, has diarrhea.

·      EHEC is diarrhea with blood, while ETEC is traveler’s diarrhea.

·      With all the different differential plates you can diagnoses different diseases

·      When taking blood and urine in the hospital culturing the results is a must!

Next Dr. P showed us pictures of plates with MRSA and MSSA with their respective inhibition drugs.

Here are the results from the UV radiation of all the bacteria; the UV light killed a substantial amount of the bacteria, but not all. We can still count the colonies. Usually Dr. P said all of the bacteria would be killed and the Agar plate would be clear.

Lastly the yogurt, after the taste test the consensus was that everybody liked the taste but the texture was different than store bought yogurt.  Now we all know how to make our own yogurt, good thing because we are poor college students!!!  And with that our microbiology lab came to an end.


13 Lab days....3 girls...a whole ton of bacteria later ... is microbiology lab in a mini session!!!