Preface: Introduction
What is "Microbiology"? Without giving the same pat answers that
you will find in many textbooks, let me introduce you to this fascinating
discipline with a challenge: What does Microbiology mean to you? How have
microbes impacted you? During this semester we will be examining and exploring
the world of microbes through the fundamental principles of cell biology and the
practical every-day applications where microbes affect us, such as water
testing, soil microbiology, and food production.
How to use this lab manual
This lab manual is entirely on-line. All readings and
instructions can be downloaded and printed or read directly on-screen. Handouts
with each lab period's instructions will always be available at the start of
each lab period, i.e. you will not need to print out the lab manual for
yourself. Furthermore, links to other aspects of the course will make the
labs more interactive than in the past.
Agenda for First Lab
1.
Get to know the lab! -Exercise /
Data sheet
2. Lab syllabus & Calendar
3. Lab Safety
4. Lab groups
5. Lab Notebook
- Will be graded
- Recommended: 3-ring binder
- Handouts & procedures
- Results/datasheets
- Review questions
6. Lab Equipment - familiarize yourself
- Autoclave
- Bacticinerators
- Inoculating loops
- Vortexers
- Incubators & Refrigerators
- Microscopes
- Digital cameras
- Spectrophotometers
7. Basic lab procedures
- Read all lab exercises ahead of time!
- Be on time
- When you arrive in lab each day:
- Pick up your handouts, materials and incubated cultures from the
front lab bench
- Read notes on board regarding changes to lab manual procedures
- Log in to the lab manual; read over lab manual chapters assigned
- Label all of your test tubes & agar plates correctly
- Name or group #, Lab section (LA, LB, LC), Name of organism/source
- Use permanent marker
- Label agar plates on the bottom, test tubes on the side of the glass
(not the cap)
- Place tubes and plates in appropriate sections
- Incubations/experiments in progress (to be incubated): Cart #1: To be
incubated
- Used glassware, plates, tubes: Cart #2: Dirty glassware (back room)
- Any plates/tubes you need to keep/store: Drawers below lab bench (Lab
A, B, or C)
- Unless otherwise specified, agar plates are to be stored and incubated
upside-down
- Clean-up
- Turn off and/or return equipment, microscopes
- Clean up dirty labware
- contaminated glassware: lab cart #2 (back of lab room)
- remove labeling with acetone or alcohol
- contaminated plastic items: Plastic containers on top of lab
stations, or red biohazard bag
- Used slides & coverslips à
metal can
- broken glassware (uncontaminated): broken glass box
- Disinfect lab bench
- Wash your hands
© 2003 - 2022 José de Ondarza, Ph.D.
