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Unknown Bacteria Lab Report

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Introduction: A frequent matter in the science, medical and pharmaceutical world is identifying unknown bacteria. Throughout the past months of this class we have learned lab technique and how to do a variety of different tests on bacteria. Microbiology is not only an academic understanding of microorganisms but learning how to practically use lab procedures to properly identify and test organisms. There are several reasons one might need to identify a bacteria. It could be to find out the causative agent in a patients disease or to figure out the antibiotics that need to be administered. This project was for students to use the knowledge and skills accumulated throughout the semester to identify an unknown gram negative and positive bacteria. …show more content…

The gram positive unknown was Enterococcus faecalis. In the initial mixed gram stain, E. coli appeared to be cocci. After isolation the gram stain showed E. Coli was a rod shape and E. faecalis was cocci. The first stain had so much bacteria it was hard to distinguish the rods so the second stain was essential in identifying the shape. The next step was the oxidase test which came out negative because there was no color change, indicating no cytochrome c oxidase present. This narrowed down my bacteria into a category with 12 bacteria on my D key. The next step was the SIM test which after incubation did not have any black in the medium, indicating no sulfur reduction. I then added the Kovac’s reagent which turned red so it was Indole positive. My organism was also very motile because the growth was radiating outward from the stab line. At this point, my bacteria was either M. morganii, P alcalifaciens, P. stuartii, C. koseri or E. coli. Then I moved onto the Phenol Red Arabinose test which shows whether the bacteria can ferment the sugar arabinose. My tube was yellow so it was positive for arabinose which brought it down to two bacteria either E. coli or C. koseri. The last test was the Citrate test which reveals if an organism can use citrate as a source of carbon and contains bromthymol blue as the pH indicator. My negative organism came out with no color change or growth so it did not utilize citrate so my organism was identified as E. coli. For my gram positive, it was immediately identified as cocci so I knew it was not B. cereus or B. subtilis. Then I did the Phenol Red Lactose test which reveals if an organism can ferment the sugar lactose. The tube was yellow after incubation which was a positive result because the acid production from fermentation lowers the pH turning the broth from red to yellow. Next I did the Urea test which is used to show a microbes ability to produce the exoenzyme urease that

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