Autum Foerster
Eastfield College
Isolating and Identifying Unknown Bacteria in Anonymous Lab Samples
Test tubes were presented with mixed bacteria samples. The samples needed to be identified. Biochemicals help identify bacteria by producing different reactions based on the individual organism. Biochemical tests have been shown to be a reliable method of identifying unknown bacteria. This study will use biochemical tests to identify three unknown bacteria samples. The results of the biochemical tests and colony morphology will identify the bacteria. The identification of unknown bacteria is important to the scientific and healthcare community. Correctly identifying bacteria is essential to research, identifying the cause of disease, and is crucial to the correct treatment of bacterial infections. …show more content…
Each of the three test tubes contained two streaks of bacteria, each streak containing different unknown bacteria. Two samples from each tube, one from each streak, were taken with a needle and placed on a slide. Gram staining was done on each slide to determine the area to take samples from. A sample was taken from one streak of each different type of bacteria. The samples were used to inoculate a standard streak plate. The streak plates were incubated at thirty-seven degrees Celsius for forty-eight hours.
A sample was taken with a needle from one colony forming unit on each streak plate and placed on a slide. The slide was gram stained to confirm the correct bacteria was isolated. The bacteria was given labels of bacteria number one, bacteria number two and bacteria number three. The bacteria was transferred with a needle into a slant tube to make a stock culture. The slants were incubated for forty-eight hours at thirty-seven degrees Celsius then placed in the refrigerator at four degrees Celsius for seventy-two