BIO 311 LAB REPORT GUIDELINES: IDENTIFICATION OF UNKNOWN BACTERIA

The identification of bacteria is a challenging and difficult task, even for seasoned microbiologists. In your lab report, you will attempt to identify the bacterium that you collected at the beginning of the semester. Identifying the exact species may not be possible, but you SHOULD be able to provide a Genus name for your bacterium.

** NOTE: You can get full credit for this assignment even if your ID is not correct, BUT if the descriptions you provide (e.g., cell shape, Gram stain, etc.) in your report do not match the characteristics of the Genus you are suggesting, then it will be marked off!

To ID your bacteria, make sure you have all of the following:
1. descriptions of the colony, cell configurations, and individual cell shapes
2. staining results (Gram stain, acid-fast stain, endospore stain, etc.)
3. biochemical test results (carbohydrate fermentations, gelatin and starch digestion, catalase tests, etc.)
4. source of the sample (skin? air? nasal passages? elsewhere?)

Next, you will need to read more about your "suspect" bacteria. Go to the library and find the following books:

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Volumes 1 and 2. Call number: REF QR81.B46 1984 v.i, v.2 (these books are located in the reference section and cannot be loaned out. PLEASE do not write on the pages of this book -- they already are in rough shape!)

Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. Call number: QR81.A5 1972 Again, PLEASE do not write on the pages of this book!)

Look up your suspect bacteria (by going to the relevant chapter, e.g., Gram negative rods, Gram positive cocci, etc.). If the characteristics of a certian Genus match your bacterium, then you are all set! If not, keep reading through these books and you should be able to narrow down your search. If in doubt, come see me AFTER you have made an honest effort at identifying your bacterium.

In the lab report, I expect the following:

Detailed title
Abstract
Introduction (Include background information on bacteriology, bacterial identification techniques, and your goal in this "study")
Materials and Methods (Include ALL of the things you have done with this bacterium! E.g., initial collection and isolation, testing for purity, culture media, stains, tests, incubations, means of identification, etc.)
Results (What are the characteristics of your bacterium? Refer to your Table 1 (see below) in a sentence within this section. What is the identity of your bacterium?)
Discussion (What is noteworthy about your bacterium? Is it common where you found it? Is it pathogenic? etc...)
Literature Cited (AT LEAST 2 references must be used! They must include one of the above texts and another reputable book, journal, or web page. If you cite both of the Bergey's manuals, you still need another reference.)
Table 1 (Summarize your bacterium by its major characteristics. See Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology for an example of tables describing bacterial characteristics.)

There are no page limits or suggested mimimum number of pages. The report must be typewritten/computer-generated. To help you write your report, a sample lab report is provided HERE, and HERE in a PDF. These sample reports will show you the format I expect when writing a lab report in biology. Pay close attention to such details as grammar, spelling, tenses used (e.g., past tense in Methods and Materials!), italics, and literature cited format.

Written by Greg Pryor, 2009. This web site is for educational purposes; if you have comments, corrections, or suggestions, please contact me.