General Microbiology Laboratory – Course Syllabus - harvey

Biology 326, Fall 2003
General Microbiology Laboratory – Course Syllabus
Laboratory Hours Section 50, Rm. 225 Tuesday and Thursday 11:40-2:40
Section 51, Rm. 280 Tuesday and Thursday 11:40-2:40
Section 52, Rm. 225 Tuesday and Thursday 2:50-5:50
Section 53, Rm. 280 Tuesday and Thursday 2:50-5:50
Instructor Dr. David Davies, Room 112 Science III (phone: 7-2006)
Office Hours: to be announced
email: dgdavies@binghamton.edu
Laboratory Pamela Watts, Room 282, Science III (phone: 7-4944)
Supervisor Office Hours: MW 3:00-4:00
email: pwatts@binghamton.edu
Required
Lab Manual
Required
Supplies
“Selected Material from: Laboratory Manual of Experimental
Microbiology”, Atlas, Brown & Parks
Full-length, long-sleeve fabric lab coat, bound composition book/lab
notebook, permanent fine point lab marker
Overview
This is a laboratory course, geared toward Biology majors, is intended to provide the student
with a broad background in microbiology laboratory practice and theory. The course will cover
major laboratory methods including microscopy, evaluation of microbial metabolism, microbial
growth and death, environmental microbiology, water and food microbiology, medical and
industrial microbiology.
Labs are scheduled for three hours, twice each week. Students will occasionally be required to
return to the lab at unscheduled times in order to complete their lab assignments. Unscheduled
visits to the lab generally require only a few minutes to record a result, re-streak a culture etc.
Prior to each laboratory, the student is expected to have read the assigned exercises in the manual
or the course packet as well as any supplemental material, if assigned.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Each missed lab will result in an automatic 5% reduction of your final
grade. Any student missing more than 3 labs without a valid excuse may receive an automatic F
in the course. Due to the nature of this laboratory course, there will be no make-up labs.
Grading
Points
Laboratory Notebook (40%) 200
Midterm Exam (25%) 125
Practical Exam (25%) 125
Unknown Identification (5%) 25
Discretionary (5%) – attendance, clean up of work area/equipment, safety, etc. 25
Total: 500

Biology 326, Fall 2003
General Microbiology Laboratory – Course Syllabus
Grades Based on Percent Numeric Score:
A 93 - 100
A - 90 - 92
B + 87 - 89
B 83 - 86
B - 80 - 82
C + 77 - 79
C 73 - 76
C - 70 - 72
D + 67 - 69
D 63 - 66
D - 60 - 62
F < 59
Percent grades will be rounded up when the number is XX.5 or higher. If the average course
grade is lower than 73, the instructor will reserve the right to curve the grades.
Incomplete Grades
There will be no “incompletes” given for this course. If a student is having a problem maintaining
a satisfactory grade, he/she may withdraw from the course. The course-drop deadline is Oct. 30.
Inappropriate behavior
While the majority of students are honest, courteous and respectful of others, it is unfortunately
necessary to remind everyone of the rules governing inappropriate behavior in this course.
Anyone discovered to be cheating will automatically receive the grade of F for the exam or
assignment and possibly for the course.
Lab# / Date
TENTATIVE LABORATORY SCHEDULE
INTRODUCTION, CULTURING AND MICROSCOPY
Pages in
Lab Manual
1 / Sept 4 Introductory Discussion 1
Preparation of Culture Media (Discussion only) 3-6
Preparation of Dehydrated media (for use in Lab 2) (course packet)
Use of Microscope/ (A) Viewing Prepared Slides 39-46
2 / Sept 9 Aseptic Technique: Transferring a Culture 7-9
Establishing Pure Cultures: the Streak Plate 13-17
Use of Microscope/Wet Mount 46
Use of Microscope/Micrometer Measurement 47-48
3 / Sept 11 Observe Lab 2
Preservation of Cultures: Establishment of a Stock Culture 21-22
STAINING MICROORGANISMS
Simple Staining and Smear Preparation 61-64
Gram Stain 64-67
4 / Sept 16 Acid-fast Stain 67-68
Spore Stain 69-70
Negative Stain/Capsule Stain 70-71
Flagella Stain 72

General Microbiology Course Syllabus Biology 326, Fall 2003
Lab# / Date
Pages in
Lab Manual
5 / Sept 18 Winogradksy Column (for later observation) (course packet)
Media Prep (for Lab 6)
GROWTH AND ENUMERATION OF MICROORGANISMS
6 / Sept 23 (B) Selective and Differential Media 25-29 & ( )
(C) Anaerobic Culture Techniques 29-31
Unknown organisms assigned.
(A, B and E-J) Enzyme Assays 81-91 & ( )
(A-D) Assays for Metabolic Activities 101-104 & ( )
7 / Sept 25 Observe Lab 6
IDENTIFY UNKNOWN(S)
ID of Unknowns by rRNA Sequence Similarity* ( )
*Take-home assignment: due Sept 30.
8 / Sept 30 (A #1-#2) Viable Plate Count 111-116
(C) Direct Counts 118-119
Estimating Microbial Biomass/Lowry Procedure 125
9 / Oct 2 Observe Lab 8
Measurement of Microbial Growth Rate 129-132
(B #5) Bioluminescent Bacteria 225
Live/Dead Stains: Transmitted Microscopy (DEMO)
(F) Fluorescence Microscopy (DEMO) 50-51
10 / Oct 7 Environmental Influences on Growth Rates 135-142
DEATH OF MICROORGANISMS
(B-D) Death of Microorganisms 149; 152-156
Kirby-Bauer Disk Method 161-164
11 / Oct 9 Observe Lab 10
(A) Death of Microorganisms 151-152
12 / Oct 14 Observe Lab 11
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) 167-
Ex. 44 - Oligodynamic Action of Heavy Metals p.
Use-Dilution Method
(handout)
13 / Oct 16 Observe Exs. 43, 44 and Use-Dilution
REVIEW FOR MIDTERM
14 / Oct 21 MIDTERM EXAM
LABORATORY NOTEBOOKS DUE

General Microbiology Course Syllabus Biology 326, Fall 2003
Lab# / Date
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
Pages in
Lab Manual
15 / Oct 23 Ex.55A* - Discussion and observation: Winogradsky columns pp.
Ex. 57* - Interactions Between Microorganisms and Plants pp.
*Observe Exs. 55A and 57B weekly for the remainder of the semester.
16 / Oct 28 Quorum Sensing and Cell/Cell Signaling in Bacteria (handout)
Photosynthetic Organisms/Photopigment Extraction (handout)
17 / Oct 30 Observe Quorum Sensing
Introduction to Biofilms: Discussion & “Show ‘n Tell”
Students plate Biofilms
Set up biofilm reactors/chemostats
18 / Nov 4 Observe Biofilm plates and evaluate biofilms/continuous cultures
INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY
19 / Nov 6 Ex. 53 - Microorganisms Associated with Food
Ex. 54 - The Assessment of Water Quality/Presumptive Test
(not in manual)
(handout)
20 / Nov 11 Ex. 54 - Water Quality/Confirmed Test pp.
Ex. 10A (#3) - Membrane Filter Method
pp.
21 / Nov 13 Ex. 54 – Water Quality/Completed Test
Yogurt Production/Industrial Quality Control
22 / Nov 18 Observe Ex. 53
Yogurt Production (continued)
23 / Nov 20 Evaluate and eat yogurt.
Other/To Be Announced
Nov 25 and 27
NO LABS – Thanksgiving break
MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
pp.
(not in manual)
24 / Dec 2 Ex. 47 - Discussion of Koch’s Postulates p.
Ex. 49A, D - Isolation and Identification/Normal Flora
pp.
Medical Diagnostics in Microbiology
(handout)
Ex. 50 - Snyder Caries Susceptibility Test
25 / Dec 4 Observe Exs. 49-50 and Medical Diagnostics
Review for Practical Exam
26 / Dec 9 LABORATORY PRACTICAL EXAM
LAB NOTEBOOKS DUE
pp.