MCB 2010L - Microbiology Laboratory

College of Natural Sciences

Credit(s): 1
Contact Hours: 45
Effective Term Fall 2022 (610)

Requisites

Pre- or Co-requisite MCB 2010 with a minimum grade of C

Course Description

This course teaches the fundamental techniques utilized in the microbiology laboratory setting. This course is designed to familiarize the student with common practices including isolation, cultivation, and identification of microorganisms. This laboratory will consist of experiments that teach bacterial techniques, characteristics of morphology, growth responses, metabolic activity, and distribution in selected environments. .

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will demonstrate standard practices and safety in a microbiology laboratory setting by:
    1. Collecting and organizing data in a systematic fashion, assessing the validity of the data, and drawing appropriate conclusions based on the results.
    2. working effectively in groups or teams so that the task, results, and analysis are shared.
    3. demonstrating and explaining safe laboratory practices for handling biohazardous materials.
    4. determining biological safety levels of selected microorganisms.
    5. following standard laboratory rules and proper disposal of biological waste.
    6. defining sterilization, contamination and pure culture.
    7. identifying contamination by observing bacterial growth on agar plates exposed to air.
    8. practicing proper aseptic technique.
  2. The student will evaluate bacterial culturing and microbial isolation techniques by:
    1. executing inoculation of solid and liquid microbiological media.
    2. analyzing microbial growth on microbiological media.
    3. performing streak plate methods to obtain pure cultures.
    4. observing and describing chemical and physical growth factors that affect microbial growth.
    5. classifying microorganisms based on their nutritional requirements.
  3. The student will identify methods of environmental and chemical control of microbial growth by:
    1. collecting and interpreting data on the effectiveness of alcohol as an antiseptic.
    2. assessing the efficacy of hand washing and surgical scrub.
    3. observing and explaining the effects of UV irradiation on microbial growth.
    4. measuring zones of inhibition and determining the susceptibility of bacteria to selected antibiotics and disinfectants.
    5. assessing the effects of temperature, pH and oxygen concentration on bacterial growth.
  4. The student will demonstrate competency of disease transmission and relevant diagnostic testing by:
    1. discussing major routes of transmission of human diseases.
    2. describing factors involved in disease transmission.
    3. simulating an epidemic.
    4. performing standard plate counts of coliforms in water and on food products.
    5. examining bacterial growth on agar plates inoculated with fomite swabs.
    6. reviewing current diagnostic tests for infectious diseases.
    7. performing current diagnostic test(s) including an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  5. The student will demonstrate advanced techniques for microscopy and bacterial staining by:
    1. demonstrating appropriate care and use of the microscope.
    2. performing simple and negative stains to assess bacterial morphology.
    3. completing the steps of the Gram stain to correctly identify Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.
    4. employing differential staining methods to identify endospores and capsules.
  6. The student will apply skills and techniques to identify unknown bacteria by:
    1. explaining how microorganisms are classified based on cell type, morphology, metabolism, and reproduction.
    2. identifying organisms based on morphology and biochemical reactions including but not limited to citrate utilization, sugar fermentation, oxidase and catalase production.
    3. using critical thinking skills to determine the identity of unknown specimens.
    4. analyzing and interpreting data and writing a comprehensive laboratory report.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of the above stated objectives through laboratory measurements developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

Revised 8/84 DBT 12/15/88 Effective Session 19891 3 YR C&I Review 1993-94 3YR C&I Review 98-99 C&I 11/12/02, BOT 12/17/02, eff 20022. C&I Approval: 02/12/2008, BOT Approval: 03/18/2008, Effective Term: Summer 2008 (395). C&I Approval: 02/09/2017, BOT Approval: 03/21/2017, Effective Term: Fall 2017 (535).
C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Fall 2022 (610)

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