Identifying an Unknown Bacteria

I'm having a lot of fun on my mini-project. All of us are identifying an unknown bacteria, my number is 6. The very first step was for us to create an isolation streak culture on an agar plate. I had to make 2, as the first one may have been contaminated by me breathing onto it. Luckily both plates came out pretty good. The colonies are circular, with an undulate edge, and is a glistening semi-opaque beige-yellow color.

First Plate

Second Plate

I did a gram stain from both plates and my bacteria is a gram negative bacilli. I thought it was a coccus, because the cells were very small, but when I looked at it with the oil microscope you could see that they were egg-shaped. Based on the appearance of the colonies on my plates, I suspect I have Escherichia coli, but further testing will confirm.

Next I did an Oxidase test by swabbing my culture and adding the testing fluid to it, this came out negative. I reconfirmed this by a second test which was also negative. The last test I performed was a glucose fermentation test, which was positive for acid, but negative for gas production.

The fluid turned from red to yellow, which is a positive result

I am now down to three possible species of bacteria, so if it is Escherichia coli, the next test will tell me. The SIM test, or Sulfur-indole-motility test results will be ready to read tomorrow and will be positive sulfide if it is E. coli.

Practicing Safe Science

Yesterday was my first day on the job at PC Biosciences Lab, so I had a lot of training. I was expecting to learn about aseptic techniques and good laboratory practices, which I am somewhat familiar with already. However, it focused primarily on safety when using the equipment and handling various chemicals and substances. This was very informative, because I've never handled hazardous chemicals before. While a lot of it was good, old fashioned common sense, there are a lot of potential hazards in the lab and carelessness could cause serious injury to not only yourself, but to your colleagues.

(photo: http://www.swarthmore.edu/Images/academics/biology)

Can't Wait

Life has been crazy lately so let me fill you in about what happened last week. I had my internship interview for Phoenix College Biosciences department on Tuesday with Matt. This was my most informal interview to date, and probably the most fun too. With questions like, "What superpower would you like to have and why?" it would be hard for it not to be fun.

In case you were wondering what I said, I chose to be a mega brain. You know, like John Travolta in Phenomenon. He had a brain tumor in that movie and eventually died though, so I would prefer my tumor to be benign.  Anyways, when the subject on what I would like my project to be came up, I was very excited and had a slew of ideas. Which is a good thing, since several of my peers are also interested in genetics. Besides genetics I am interested in micro-organisms in bodies of water so I may do something with that. Stay tuned!

Bacteria in Drinking Water

(Photo: http://www.uswatersystems.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09)