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General Microbiology II

Laboratory Exercises - Spring 2008

January 14 and 18

Introduction and Overview

Laboratory Safety

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - setup

January 21 and 25

Martin Luther King Day Week - No Class

January 28 and February 1

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - unwrap, examine

Selection (Exercise 2) - heat, dilute and plate bacterial mixture

Cyanobacteria (Exercise 3) - begin critical examination

February 4 and 8

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - examine for black spots

Selection (Exercise 2) - count colonies, analyze results, plan experiment

Cyanobacteria (Exercise 3) - complete critical examination

February 11 and 15

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - examine for black spots

Selection (Exercise 2) - perform experiment

Fungi (Exercise 4) - begin critical examination

Notebook Assessment 1 (5 points)

February 18

Presidents' Day - No Class

February 19 (Monday/Tuesday Exchange Day) and 22

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - isolate purple photosynthetic bacteria and inoculate Desulfovibrio agar tubes

Selection (Exercise 2) - analyze and discuss results of experiments

Plant Parasitism (Exercise 5) - inoculate sunflower plants with Agrobacterium

Fungi (Exercise 4) - complete critical examination

February 25 and 29

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - examine for green and purple bacteria

Bacterial Synergism (Exercise 6) - streak plates

Succession in Pond Water (Exercise 7) - examine day 1 slides, setup for day 4

Report 1 Due (10 points ... Selection - Exercise 2)

March 3 and 7

Microbial Microcosm (Exercise 1) - examine for green and purple bacteria, examine Desulfovibrio agar tubes, analyze and discuss microcosm results

Plant Parasitism (Exercise 5) - examine sunflower plants for galls

Bacterial Synergism (Exercise 6) - analyze and discuss results

Succession in Pond Water (Exercise 7) - examine day 4 slides, analyze and discuss results

March 12 (Wednesday evening)

Examination 1 (25 points ... Laboratory Safety and Exercises 1- 7)

March 17 and 21

Spring Break - No Class

March 24 and 28

Skin and Respiratory Tract Microbiota (Exercise 8) - inoculate plates

Microscopic Examination of Leukocytes (Exercise 9) - critical examination

March 31 and April 4

Skin and Respiratory Tract Microbiota (Exercise 8) - stain and "identify" bacteria

Functions of Antibodies (Exercise 10) - bacterial agglutination

Antibiotic Sensitivity (Exercise 11) - inoculate plates and add antibiotic discs

April 7 and 11

Antibiotic Sensitivity (Exercise 11) - analyze and discuss results

Transmission of Microbes (Exercise 12) - perform experiment

Bacteriological Analysis of Urine (Exercise 13) - dilute samples and inoculate plates

April 14 and 18

Transmission of Microbes (Exercise 12) - examine plates, analyze and discuss results

Bacteriological Analysis of Urine (Exercise 13) - count plates, inoculate Enterotubes and inoculate antibiotic sensitivity plates

Bacteriological Analysis of Food (Exercise 14) - dilute samples and inoculate plates

April 21 and 25

Bacteriological Analysis of Urine (Exercise 13) - analyze and discuss results

Bacteriological Analysis of Food (Exercise 14) - analyze and discuss results

April 30 (Wednesday evening)

Examination 2 (25 points ... Exercises 5 and 8-14)

Notebook Assessment 2 (15 points)

May 2

Report 2 Due (10 points ... Bacteriological Analysis of Urine - Exercise 13)

• Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs)
  • Jianli Xue
    • Section A (Monday 9:00-10:50 am)
    • Office: 82 Pearson Hall
    • Phone: 529-7266 or 529-5443
    • E-mail: xuej@muohio.edu
  • Daniel Zimbler
    • Section B (Monday 3:00-4:50 pm)
    • Office: 50 Pearson Hall
    • Phone: 529-7263 or 529-5439
    • E-mail: zimbledl@muohio.edu
  • Dipendra Gautam
    • Section C (Friday 3:00-4:50 am)
    • Office: 82 Pearson Hall
    • Phone: 529-7266 or 529-5442
    • E-mail: gautamd@muohio.edu
  • Elizabeth French
    • Section D (Friday 9:00-10:50 am)
    • Office: 82 Pearson Hall
    • Phone: 529-7266
    • E-mail: frenche2@muohio.edu

Laboratory Preparation

For best performance of laboratory exercises and best understanding of the material, you must approach the exercises in an organized fashion. This includes reading each exercise and writing a lab prep paragraph on what you are going to do during class before you come to the laboratory. This paragraph must include background material as well as a statement of the objective or purpose of the exercise, and it must be turned in to your GTA as you enter the laboratory. This paragraph may also be used as the Introduction section of your notebook entry for that exercise.

In addition, 10 points (total) have been allocated to two or more unannounced quizzes, which are intended to help provide incentive for you to prepare for lab each day.

You will be required to generate two formal laboratory reports during the semester. The exercises on which they will be based are listed on the laboratory outline. Each report should have a name, be well integrated and follow this format:

• Introduction
  • Background: What is the scientific basis of the approach or technique used--i.e., How does it work?
  • Purpose: What will/did the experiment(s) accomplish?
• Materials and Methods
  • Materials: What essential supplies were used?
  • Methods: How (exactly, in a stepwise manner) did you perform the experiment?
• Results
  • Tables/Graphs: What data were obtained? (Present the data in the most appropriate format for later interpretation.)
  • Text: What results are indicated by the data?
• Discussion
  • Interpretation of results: What do your results mean, in the context of both the current experiment and the field of microbiology in general?
  • Expectations: Did you get the results you expected to? Why or why not?

You may use appropriate material from the textbook, laboratory manual, Exercises and lecture notes when preparing your reports. You should not, however, simply "regurgitate" any of this material (especially the procedural details), because the object of these reports is for you to integrate the information and present it in a clear and thoughtful manner in your own words. These reports must be generated using a computer-based word processor and inkjet or laser printer. The Department of Microbiology has a computer laboratory set up for student use. Ask your laboratory instructors when you can use this facility to complete your reports.

The laboratory portion of your grade (25%) will be determined by your performance on two 25-point laboratory examinations, two laboratory notebook assessments (5 points for the first one, and 15 points for the second), two 10-point laboratory reports, and two or more unannounced quizzes (10 points total). Although you are expected to participate in every laboratory exercise, you will be allowed one excused absence. Each additional absence will result in deduction of 10 points from your cumulative course points.

Your course grade will be determined using a plus/minus grading scale, as indicated on the evaluation web page.

Plagiarism and other infractions of Miami University rules and regulations will be dealt with as described in the Miami University Handbook (pay particular attention to Part V Academic Misconduct and especially to SECTION 01.502).

Cheating on any aspect of this course may make you subject to immediate dismissal from the class with a grade of F.

Laboratory Safety

Safety is of paramount importance in the microbiology laboratory.

Many of the microbes with which you will be working are capable of infecting humans under certain circumstances. In addition, you will be using disinfectants, carcinogens, caustics and flames during this course, all of which may be hazardous to your health. The instructions for each exercise in which it is necessary to work with either a caustic or a carcinogenic compound will warn you of the hazard and explain how to avoid harm while using that particular compound. You will not be warned repetitively about other hazards. Instead, you will be expected to abide by the following safety rules.

While you are in this laboratory ...

• Do not eat or drink or mouth pipette ... indeed, do not put anything in your mouth; mechanical pipetting devices will be provided for your use.
• Wear your laboratory coat at all times when you are in this laboratory, but do not wear it anywhere else.
• Wear goggles when using hazardous liquids.
• Wear disposable plastic gloves when using hazardous liquids.
• Use an absorbent pad soaked with disinfectant to cover your work area when working with infectious agents.
• Dispose of all hazardous materials in the receptacles provided.
• Use your burner flame cautiously ... and turn it off when you will not be using it for a long period of time, especially when you will be working with your microscope.
• Notify your instructor of any emergency situation as soon as it arises.
• Sponge off your laboratory bench with disinfectant at the finish of any exercise in which you have used microbes.
• Before leaving the laboratory ... remove your laboratory coat and hang it on the coat rack in the laboratory, then thoroughly wash your hands using the microbicidal detergent solution provided.