Micro 509 Laboratory Schedule for Winter, 2005

based on Nester et al., 2004, 4th edition and Leboffe & Pierce, 2002, lab manual

This schedule was last updated on Friday, December 31, 2004

 

To view lectures (PowerPoint presentations) see:

 

www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/~sabedon/lectures/index.html#microbiology

or

www.phage.org/lectures/index.html#microbiology

 

Your syllabus can be found at www.phage.org/school_syllabus.htm

 

For first day of lectures we will be covering chapters 1, 2, and 3

(through “Morphology of Prokaryotic Cells” on p. 49).

 

The following is an approximate lecture schedule for the quarter:

 

week

day

Tuesday

day

Wednesday

1

1

chs. 0, 1, 2, & 3

2

chs. 3 & 4

2

3

chs. 4 & 5

4

chs. 5 & 6

3

5

chs. 6 & 7

6

chs. 7 & 8

4

7

catch up/review

8

midterm #1

5

9

chs. 10 & 11

10

chs. 11 & 12

6

11

chs. 12 & 13

12

chs. 13 & 14

7

13

catch up/review

14

midterm #2

8

15

chs. 15 & 16

16

chs. 16 & 17

9

17

chs. 17 & 19

18

chs. 19 & 20

10

19

chs. 20 & 21

20

ch. 21

11

21

Final exam

--

 

 

The above schedule is to give you heads up on reading your text for the first and subsequent days of lecture.

Don’t be ignorant: take the time to read your text as assigned, and read it well!

 

 

Micro 509 Grading Scheme

 

Midterm #1:                                                 250 points

Midterm #2:                                                 250 points

Midterm #3:                                                 250 points

Lab exam #1:                                                 60 points

Lab exam #2:                                                 90 points

Lab participation and attitude:                         30 points

Lab quizzes:                                                   30 points

Lab cleanup:                                                   20 points

Lab unknown:                                                20 points

Total:                                                       1000 points

For lab schedule and directions, please proceed to the following…

Note that we need multiple colors of tape to help students differentiate their tubes from those of others.

 

1.      This isn’t high school. Uncertainty and ambiguity are two painful aspects of biology, science, and medicine. In microbiology things will not always work. Get used to it. We will be working day in and day out with living things that don’t always cooperate, and we will be learning challenging techniques that won’t always be immediately pleasureful. Furthermore, though I’ve seen plenty of people try to prove otherwise, it is next to impossible to do well in microbiology lecture or lab without making an effort to read your texts and supporting documents (such as this document). If you don’t want to be challenged—or are not equipped in terms of time or ability to do the necessary reading and other preparations for lectures and for labs—then don’t take microbiology.

2.      Difficulty is no excuse for apathy. Your success in this lab and this course can be affected by your attitude. If you are fighting microbiology, convinced that taking microbiology is an unreasonable expectation imposed upon you, then you will not excel in this course. A key component to learning microbiology is becoming aware of how to do microbiology in the laboratory. If you are not paying attention—if you don’t care—you only end up creating trouble both for yourself and for those who are counting upon you.

3.      Refer to this document (i.e., read the appropriate sections as indicated below) to have a clue as to what you need to be doing and how you need to be doing it in lab. You will be lost if you do not. In other words, follow all directions, instructions, and tips from your lab text unless those are contradicted by instructions found in this document. By all means seek help from your lab instructor if you are confused, but make sure that you have at the very least first looked for the information in your lab text and in this document.

4.      Your lab grade is in part based on your lab participation and attitude. Remember, you need to be coming to lab, doing your share of the work, using proper (and appropriate) laboratory techniques, making meaningful observations of experimental results, taking sufficiently detailed notes so that you have some sense, come exam time of what you have done; and conduct yourself in a professional, courteous, civil, and approachable manner.

5.      Your lab grade will also be based, in part, on learning your binomials. Starting the second lab (and then as indicted) you will be quizzed at the start of labs. Quizzes will consist, at least in part, of the equivalent of matching genus to species. You will be held responsible only for those organisms indicated as actually being used for a given lab (i.e., if we indicate that one organisms is replacing another, then learn the organism we are using, not that which is being replaced). The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with the organisms you will be working with, and binomial nomenclature in general.

6.      Your lab grade will also be based, in part, on understanding what you will be doing for a given lab. In conjunction with the your binomial quizzes you will also be quizzed on your appreciation of just what it is you will be doing in lab on a given day. Yes, we do have an expectation that you will read your labs (and this document) prior to coming to lab, but note that the primary concern of these quizzes will be what you will be doing in the lab the day the quiz is given. That is, you should not beat yourself up over memorizing the interpretation of procedures (e.g., what it means when colonies are red) unless you are instructed to start and complete a procedure that day (interpretation, however, will be an important component of lab exams). Our hope, instead, is to motivate you to learn the material necessary to safely and efficiently perform the laboratory that you will be doing that day.

7.      Your lab grade is also based, in part, on how thoroughly you clean up and otherwise keeps carts, counters, and drawers neat. See below for a discussion of proper cleanup procedures. This aspect of your grade will come from both your overall section’s cleanliness and observations that are made of individual lapses on your part. Please contact your instructor if you observe any problems that you are unsure how to deal with.

8.      Your lab grade is also based, in part, on your identification of your bacterial unknown. To ID your unknown you will need to attend lab on a regular basis, record data, and have some clue as to what you are doing in lab, but otherwise you should avoid being kept up at night worrying about this procedure.

9.      Your lab grade will also include two, open-lab-text exams. To do well in the lab portion of this course you should conscientiously complete the assigned laboratory exercises; record results, answer all questions (unless directed not to); and review your lab text (well) prior to taking the lab exam. In the exam you will be tested on lab results as well as your ability to perform specific techniques, but in particular you will be tested on what results mean. Lab exams are open-book and include questions assigned in advance. This style of lab exam keeps the focus on learning rather than on memorizing. Just imagine the alternative: a lab practical for which you have to memorize all of the material!!!

10.  Read your lab text prior to coming to lab. You will understand what is going on better if you familiarize yourself with what you will be doing. Remember that your goal is to more easily do and understand the labs once you get to lab. Try to get a sense of what needs to be done, what materials you will need, etc. You may be quizzed, at the beginning of labs on how well you have prepared.

11.  Labs will not begin early. Laboratory periods are set to begin at 12:30 or 2:45. Please show up on time to labs to take the lab quizzes. However, please refrain from entering or attempting to enter labs until the official start time for your laboratory section. Whatever you do, do not ask your lab instructor or anybody else found in association with the microbiology prep lab to let you into the teaching laboratory early. Getting caught asking will result in 5 points being deducted from your grade (on a 1000-point scale)!!! If you want to finish labs on time you should work diligently while in lab, choose partners who will also work diligently, and, above all, have a very good sense of what you will be doing in lab prior to starting. At the appropriate start of laboratory periods take the initiative to get yourself started by collecting reagents, setting up, and, to the extent that you can do so without instructor demonstration, performing procedures.

12.  Place only a minimal amount of personal materials on your lab bench. Lab benches are places where contamination of belongings could occur. Please keep backpacks, extra clothing, extra books, and other unused materials away from your lab bench. Getting caught placing these materials on your lab bench will be deducted from your grade (1 point per incident on 1000-point scale).

13.  Work safely I. In addition to the safety instructions listed in your lab text, remember: (i) Be prepared and work with care. (ii) Do not knowingly harm yourself. (iii) Do not knowingly ingest any substance in the laboratory or cause others to do so, even this is something that you have brought into the laboratory. (iii) Do not knowingly harm others. Violations of these rule (i) will result in deduction of points from your lab grade. Violation of rule (ii) may very well result in your being reported to the administration. Violation of rule (iii) will result in deduction of 5 points per incident from your grade (on 1000-point scale). If you violate rule (iv) you will be reported to the administration, and perhaps also the police!

14.  Work safely II. (iv) Avoid touching your face with your hands. (iv) Wear disposable gloves when handling stains (i.e., as used for observing bacteria under a microscope; note that this is not an instruction to wear gloves at all times for all procedures though you certainly are welcome to do so should you feel compelled). (v) Please keep burners burning only (approximately) as they are actually being used.

15.  Do not return unused cultures and media to where you got them from unless you receive permission from your laboratory instructor to do so. Doing so could spoil procedures for other students. Getting caught doing so will result in 5 points being deducted from your grade (on a 1000-point scale).

16.  Do your labs in the orders indicated in Table 1. If you would prefer to deviate from suggested orders then please first discuss this with your instructor. There may very well be a reason for the order suggested, but not always.

17.  Your lab text has blue pages in the back. These are questions associated with individual lab exercises. There will be an indication of which questions need to be answered. You are responsible for these questions unless otherwise instructed. However, you do not need to hand in these questions. They instead may be found as part of your laboratory exam. Think of them as take-home exam questions (that is exactly what they are).

18.  If you have an idea about how a lab may be run better then please inform your instructor. We are doing our best to design labs so that diligent students can finish them in the allotted time. Please come to lab prepared to work quickly, efficiently, and safely, but let us know how we can improve procedures.

19.  Make up labs will be extremely difficult or impossible to accomplish due to our use throughout these labs of living microorganisms. Therefore, please try hard to attend labs.

20.  Label all media and cultures, using marker on glass. These reagents will not be labeled for you and you will not be able to distinguish cultures without labels.

21.  Use black, felt-tipped pens for most labeling. Save red Gram-stain permanent pens only when you will be destaining slides using organic solvents, e.g., when Gram staining. Note that the red ink is meant to be difficult to wash off and this makes it next to impossible to remove writing from tubes marked with Gram-stain pens. Do not remove labels from batches containing otherwise unlabeled individual materials.

22.  Take care of your microscope. Only the 100x objective lens can be brought into contact with oil. Do not get oil on the 40x, 10x, and 4x objective lenses. Use alcohol and cotton swabs for most microscope cleaning. Use only lens paper—never kimwipes or paper towels—to clean the optics on your microscope. Do not even think of using paper towels to clean your microscope optics!!!!

23.  These are various ways that media can be prepared. A deep is a regular tube filled with 10 ml (or in some cases, as specified, 25 ml) of agar media (use melted, not solidified; if used solidified this is stab). A pour tube is a large tube filled with 25 ml agar media (used melted). A shake tube also is a large tube filled with 25 ml agar media (also used melted).

24.  Incubators. We typically will be using either a 25ºC or a 37ºC incubator. Some procedures will not work given a 37ºC incubation, so please keep track of what incubator you should be placing your cultures into. In many cases you will be asked to place your cultures on one or more trays which in turn will be placed in incubators for you. When incubations need to be completed before the next lab period, your cultures (if properly placed in the appropriate location) will be removed to a refrigerator. Where your text says 35ºC incubation we will be employing the incubator labeled “37ºC”.

25.  Make sure you both stow your cultures in incubators properly and then clean up properly: See Appendix 1 for tips on how to how to clean up the lab and otherwise successfully complete your lab procedures.

 

TABLE 1: Summary of Labs[1]

 

#.wk.day[2]

day

unit-lab-page[3]

action

approximate lab name[4]

temp

length

#/grp[5]

1.1.1

Mon

3-1.74

start[6]

intro to light microscopy[7]

--

--

1[8]

1. intro to micro, 2. molecules of life, and 3. microscopy

3. microscopy and 4. prokaryotic growth

2.1.2

Thurs

3-4.93

complete[9], [10]

simple stains[11]

--

--

1

2.1.2

Thurs

1-2.34

start

aseptic transfers[12]

25, 37

next

1

2.1.2

Thurs

3-1.74

complete

intro to light microscopy

--

--

1

2.1.2

Thurs

---

complete

phase contrast, Pseudomonas[13]

--

--

1

weekend 1 / week 2 below

3.2.1

Mon

1-2.13

finish[14]

aseptic transfers

--

--

1

3.2.1

Mon

3-6.98

complete

Gram stain[15]

--

--

1

3.2.1

Mon

3-7.102

complete

acid-fast stains[16]

--

--

1

3.2.1

Mon

---

complete

phase contrast, hay infusion[17]

--

--

1

4. prokaryotic growth and 5. control of microbial growth

5. control of microbial growth and 6. metabolism

4.2.2

Thurs

2-13.67

start

effectiveness hand washing[18]

25

48

2

4.2.2

Thurs

4-1.120

start

streak plate[19]

37

24-48

1

4.2.2

Thurs

6-1.242

start

standard plate count[20]

37

24-48

2

4.2.2

Thurs

2-12.64

start

disinfectants[21]

37

48

2

4.2.2

Thurs

6-3.250

complete

direct count[22]

--

--

2

weekend 2 / week 3 below

5.3.1

Mon

MLK Jr.

none

--

--

--

--

6. metabolism and 7. DNA to protein

7. DNA to protein and 8. bacterial genetics

6.3.2

Thurs

8-1.288

complete

extraction of DNA[23]

--

--

2

6.3.2

Thurs

4-2.123

start

mannitol salt agar[24],[25]

37

24-48

4

6.3.2

Thurs

4-3.125

start

phenylethyl agar

37

24-48

4

6.3.2

Thurs

2-13.67

finish

effectiveness hand washing[26]

--

--

2

6.3.2

Thurs

6-1.242

finish

standard plate count

--

--

2

6.3.2

Thurs

2-12.64

finish

disinfectants[27]

--

--

2

6.3.2

Thurs

4-1.120

finish

streak plate

--

--

1

weekend 3 / week 4 below

7.4.1

Mon

2-4.45

start

evaluation of media[28]

37

24-48

4

7.4.1

Mon

4-5.129

start

endo agar

37

24-48

4

7.4.1

Mon

4-6.131

start

eosin methylene blue agar[29]

37

24-48

4

7.4.1

Mon

4-8.135

start

MacConkey agar[30]

37

24-48

4

7.4.1

Mon

2-5.47

start

aerotolerance[31]

37

24-48

4

7.4.1

Mon

2-7.52

start

effect of temp. on growth[32]

25,37

24-48

4

7.4.1

Mon

4-2.123

finish[33]

mannitol salt agar

--

--

2

7.4.1

Mon

4-3.125

finish

phenylethyl agar[34]

--

--

2

review/catch up

midterm exam #1

8.4.2

Thurs

2-4.45

finish

evaluation of media

--

--

2

8.4.2

Thurs

4-5.129

finish

endo agar

--

--

2

8.4.2

Thurs

4-6.131

finish

eosin methylene blue agar[35]

--

--

2

8.4.2

Thurs

4-8.135

finish

MacConkey agar

--

--

2

8.4.2

Thurs

2-5.47

finish

aerotolerance[36]

--

--

2

8.4.2

Thurs

2-7.52

finish

effect of temp. on growth[37]

--

--

2

weekend 4 / week 5 below

9.5.1

Mon

3-5.96

complete

negative stain[38]

--

--

1

9.5.1

Mon

3-9-109

complete

endospore stain[39]

--

--

1

9.5.1

Mon

3-8.107

complete

capsule stain[40],[41]

--

--

1

10. prokaryote ID and 11. prokaryote diversity

11. prokaryote diversity and 12. eukaryote microbes

10.5.2

Thurs

lab exam # 1

none

exam on first 9 labs[42]

--

--

1

weekend 5 / week 6 below

11.6.1

Mon

6-4.251

start

plaque assay[43]

37

24-48

2

11.6.1

Mon

5-13-177

start

starch hydrolysis[44]

37

48

4

11.6.1

Mon

5-7.159

start

nitrate reduction test[45]**

37

24-48

4

11.6.1

Mon

5-1.140

start

oxidation fermentation test[46]**

37

48

4

11.6.1

Mon

5-20.194

start

SIM medium**

27

24-48

4

11.6.1

Mon

5-4.149

start

MRVP**

37

120

4

11.6.1

Mon

5-8.164

start

citrate test**

37

168

4

11.6.1

Mon

5-17.187

start

gelatinase test**

25

168

4

12. eukaryote microbes and 13. viruses of bacteria

13. viruses of bacteria and 14. infectious agents

12.6.2

Thurs

6-4.251

finish

plaque assay[47]

--

--

2

12.6.2

Thurs

5-13-177

finish

starch hydrolysis[48]

--

--

2

12.6.2

Thurs

5-7.159

finish

nitrate reduction test[49]**

--

--

2

12.6.2

Thurs

5-1.140

continue

oxidation fermentation test**

37

48

2

12.6.2

Thurs

5-20.194

finish

SIM medium**

--

--

2

weekend 6 / week 7 below

13.7.1

Mon

5-1.140

finish

oxidation fermentation test[50]**

--

--

2

13.7.1

Mon

5-4.149

finish

MRVP[51]**

--

--

2

13.7.1

Mon

5-8.164

finish

citrate test**

--

--

2

13.7.1

Mon

5-17.187

finish

gelatinase test[52]**

--

--

2

13.7.1

Mon

10-1.320

start

the fungi[53]

--

--

1 or 2

13.7.1

Mon

10-2.326

start

protozoans[54]

--

--

1 or 2

13.7.1

Mon

10-3.334

start

helmith parasites[55]

--

--

1 or 2

review/catch up

midterm exam #2

14.7.2

Thurs

5-5.154

start

catalase test[56]**

37

24

4

14.7.2

Thurs

5-15.182

start

urease test (broth only)[57]**

37

24

4

14.7.2

Thurs

5-16.185

start

casease test**

37

24

4

14.7.2

Thurs

5-21.199

start

triple sugar iron agar**

37

18-24

4

14.7.2

Thurs

5-2.143

start

phenol red broth[58]**

37

18

4

14.7.2

Thurs

5-28.218

start

motility test[59]**

37

24-48

4

14.7.2

Thurs

5-23.204

start

litmus milk test**

37

168

4

14.7.2

Thurs

10-1.320

continue

the fungi

--

--

1 or 2

14.7.2

Thurs

10-2.326

continue

Protozoans

--

--

1 or 2

14.7.2

Thurs

10-3.334

continue

helmith parasites

--

--

1 or 2

weekend 7 / week 8 below

15.8.1

Mon

5-27.215

start

coagulase test[60]

37

24

2

15.8.1

Mon

2-14.69

start

antimicrobial susceptibility[61]

37

16-18

2

15.8.1

Thurs

5-6.157

complete

oxidase test[62]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Mon

5-5.154

finish

catalase test[63]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Mon

5-15.182

finish

urease test (broth only)[64]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Mon

5-16.185

finish

casease test[65]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Mon

5-21.199

finish

triple sugar iron agar[66]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Mon

5-2.143

finish

phenol red broth[67]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Mon

5-28.218

finish

motility test[68]**

--

--

2

15.8.1

Thurs

10-1.320

continue

the fungi

--

--

1 or 2

15.8.1

Thurs

10-2.326

continue

protozoans

--

--

1 or 2

15.8.1

Thurs

10-3.334

continue

helmith parasites

--

--

1 or 2

15. innate immunity and 16. adaptive immunity

16. adaptive immunity and 17. immunology applications

16.8.2

Thurs

5-26.212

start

blood agar

25

24

4

16.8.2

Thurs

2-01-36

start

ubiquity of microorganisms

25,37

24-48

2

16.8.2

Thurs

--

start

bacterial unknown[69]

many

many

1

 

 

5-4.149

start

MRVP

37

120

1

 

 

5-8.164

start

citrate test

37

168

1

 

 

5-17.187

start

gelatinase test

25

168

1

 

 

5-23.204

start

litmus milk test**

37

168

1

16.8.2

Thurs

5-27.215

finish

coagulase test

--

--

2

16.8.2

Thurs

10-1.320

continue

the fungi

--

--

1 or 2

16.8.2

Thurs

10-2.326

continue

protozoans

--

--

1 or 2

16.8.2

Thurs

10-3.334

continue

helmith parasites

--

--

1 or 2

weekend 8 / week 9 below

20.10.2

Thurs

5-14.180

complete

ONPG test[70]

--

--

2

17.9.1

Mon

5-26.212

finish

blood agar

--

--

2

17.9.1

Mon

2-01-36

finish

ubiquity of microorganisms

--

--

2

17.9.1

Mon

5-23.204

finish

litmus milk test[71]**

--

--

2

17.9.1

Mon

--

continue

bacterial unknown[72]

many

many

1

 

 

5-1.140

start

oxidation fermentation test

37

48

1

 

 

5-2.143

start

phenol red broth

37

18

1

 

 

5-5.154

start

catalase test

37

24

1

 

 

5-7.159

start

nitrate reduction test

37

24-48

1

 

 

5-15.182

start

urease test (broth only)

37

24

1

 

 

5-16.185

start

casease test

37

24

1

 

 

5-20.194

start

SIM medium