Uses And Limitations Of Biosensors

Bacteria are ubiquitous; they can be found on the skin, in the soil, and inside the body. Because of the very nature of this ubiquity, it is important to be able to determine between different strains of bacteria. An example of this is determining the causative agent for a disease so that the patient will be treated with the appropriate antibiotics. It may be important to determine the bacteria in a certain region, because like with enteric bacteria, it is normal to find them in the digestive tract as they are in a symbiotic relationship with our bodies in this area; however, they also cause opportunistic infections in places outside of the digestive tract to our detriment, such as with a urinary tract infection. Some strains of bacteria are common to nosocomial infections, and identifying these bacteria as such helps create the guidelines for healthcare workers in antiseptic technique. All of the morphology and characteristics of each strain of bacteria help us to better understand the role of bacteria in the body as well as helps us understand how they can cause illness, and what treatment regimen to set in place. In lab this semester, a sample of unknown

The identification of unknown organisms carries important ramifications that can be applied to many real world scenarios. In keeping with quality assurance beverages, food, cosmetics, and other products are frequently inspected for contaminants resulting from a presence of pathogenic bacteria. In medicine, a physician’s diagnosis and consequent treatment is largely determined from samples collected from infection sites that have been analyzed using microbial tests.

There are many differents ways to identify a bacterial unknown and many different situations where identification would be beneficial. One way to identify bacterial unknowns is to perform biochemical tests. In this experiment multiple biochemical tests were done, by performing these tests on the bacterial unknown received the two different bacteria were then identified. The citrate test is done to test the ability of organisms to use citrate as a carbon source. This test uses Simmons citrate agar, the agar contains sodium citrate as the only carbon source and has bromothymol blue as the pH indicator. The organisms that use citrate as a carbon source use the enzyme to transport the citrate into the cell. The cells converts ammonium dihydrogen

The Process of Identification of an Unknown Bacteria Entering the medical field, it is important to understand the way bacteria function and grow. Understanding bacteria allows nurses and doctors to have a clear understanding how to fight bacteria and prevent major infections. The study of microbiology requires more than an academic understanding but also a hands on understanding of lab techniques and aseptic techniques. Lab methods that have been learned throughout this semester will be used to identify the unknown bacteria.

Methods and materials The first process of identifying the bacteria was obtaining a TSA plate and using the streak method called the three sector technique. The streak plate is used for the purpose of separating the two bacteria’s and establishing colonies as explained in the lab manual. The two plates were incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for a period of forty eight hours.

The bases of this experiment was to discover the identify of the unknown from three possible specimens: Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacter aerogenes. Utilizaing the T streak technique, the bacteria was isolated into pure colonies for further study. The Gram Stain method was used to identity the morhphology of the bacteria such as the shape and whether the bacteria was Gram positive or Gram negative. Biochemical test were also used to help identify the unknown bacteria. The biochemical test used was the Triple Sugar Iron Agar, Sulfur Indole Motility test, Methyl Red test, Voges-Proskauer test, Citrate test, Urease test, and the Gelatin test. After observing the morphology of the bacteria using the Gram Stain method and utilizing all the possible biochemical test, the bacteria was identified to be Enterobacter aerogenes.

Today in medicine doctors are rapidly isolating and distinguishing the many pathogenic microbes encountered daily within the environment. Public health has been affected from the faster identification of microorganisms by delivering an accurate analysis to patients in order to receive treatment of the disease in a timely manner. Due to the growing understanding of these organisms more have been easier to indicate to improve water quality. Also more methods have been developed for better treatment options from fecal bacteria in public water systems. Scientist has developed such specific methods of identifying the unknown organism to tell if the contamination has come from either a human, bird, or mammal. (Achtman et al., 2008)

For many years the identification of microorganisms has been important in the world of medicine. It is essential or correct disease diagnosis in patients and for proper treatment. Knowing the correct identity and characteristics of microorganism is crucial when disease outbreaks occur in populations, also knowing how humans can benefit from microorganisms is important; many can be used in making certain foods or antibiotics.

Different microbes can transmit and produce different types of diseases and infections. Having an unknown bacterium in the body can be a life and death situation. It is very important especially in the healthcare industry that providers are able to differentiate between organisms that are pathogenic and administer the appropriate treatment to their patients. Applying methods that were previously studied in lab, students must be able to isolate an unknown specimen by using laboratory techniques and biochemical tests.

Preliminary studies help identify Genus species of bacteria. Two different preliminary study pathways must be used since two different pathogens were found in the sample. A dilution and a quadrant streak are the ideal methods to separate pure cultures of bacteria. MacConkey Agar and CAN (MAC) is a selective media that is used for the cultivation of gram negative bacteria. (PEA) is a selective media that is used

After inoculating an agar plate with the bacteria taken from a phone screen in Durham during winter, various tests were performed to attempt to identify the organism’s genus. We hypothesized that the bacteria was a member of the Staphylococcus genus. The Gram Stain results indicate that the bacterium is either Gram negative, but the KOH test indicates a Gram-positive isolate. Upon further consideration, we decided that the bacterium is a Gram-positive destainer. Gram-positive bacteria have a thick cell wall composed of peptidoglycan. As expected, the Gas Pak and TSA stab results indicate that the bacterium cannot grow in the absence of oxygen. A motility stab indicated that the bacteria were motile. Motility provides an ability to change direction and move away from repellents and toward attractants. Thus, the microbe can avoid unfavorable conditions, and live longer. The positive lysine decarboxylase test indicates that the microbe can use the amino acid lysine as a source of carbon and energy for growth. First, the bacteria use glucose as its primary carbon source, which causes the pH to drop. The enzyme lysine decarboxylase degrades lysine to produce basic products. This change in pH is what causes the broth to turn purple again, a positive result. An endospore stain indicated that the bacterium does not produce spores under stress to protect the cells from dying. Spores are metabolically inactive and

On June 25th, 2015 I chose the test tube labeled #19. This test tube contained an unknown bacterium, and the purpose was to determine the unknown bacterium by the end of the semester. Throughout the course, I ran a series of differential tests that would lead me to discovering the characteristics of my unknown. These tests that I will discuss in this paper are vital to understanding the biochemical mechanisms that different bacteria can perform, therefore helping me identify my bacterium based on molecular differences. During the course of this paper, I will refer to my unknown as unk#19. Also, I would note that aseptic technique was performed throughout the entire experiment and subcultures were regularly made.

The Unknown Bacteria 36/Bacteria # 2 on a TSA plate was examined by the naked eye and under a dissecting microscope. Bacteria # 2 was approximately 3 - 4 mm in diameter. They were circular in form with an entire margin and a flat elevation. The colonies were rough (granular), translucent, and white brownish color with black granules. The Gram stain resulted in a Gram negative rod. After the Gram stain was completed, the bacteria were streaked on an Eosin -Methylene Blue Agar plate and an Enterotube II was inoculated.

There were several experimental procedures that were performed by Bayry et al that allowed for this experiment to be performed. One of these procedures included treatment of an IgE antibody that is produced specifically in mice, SPE7 with heme using the technique immunoblotting to determine the polyreactivity of heme and the resulting consequences of the reaction. Immunoblotting, also known as western blotting, is a type of an assay that is specifically used for the detection and characterization of proteins1. According to Gallagher and Chakavarti, immunoblotting works by exploiting the specificity inherent in antigen-antibody recognition5. It involves the solubilization and electrophoretic separation of proteins, glycoproteins, or lipopolysaccharides by gel electrophoresis, followed by quantitative transfer and irreversible binding to nitrocellulose, PVDF, or nylon5. The immunoblotting technique has been useful in identifying specific antigens recognized by polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies and is highly sensitive5. This unit provides protocols for protein separation, blotting proteins onto membranes, immunoprobing, and visualization5. Another technique used was an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay or ELISA. The purpose of an ELISA is to determine if a particular protein is present in a sample and if so, how much6. There are two main variations on this method and whichever one is used depends on the type of experiment that is being run. One can determine how much

First, identify a location near where you live or work where bacterial samples can be collected from the environment.