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Biology Dept.DePauw UniversitySpring 2003 |
BIO 250 Laboratory Lab: 9-11:50pm Thursday
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| Instructor: Chet Fornari; Lab Supervisor: Betsy Bowlin |
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| This particular series of introductory microbiology lab exercises emphasizes the basic techniques and fundamental principles of experimental microbiology, and is not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive treatment of this discipline. After thoroughly familiarizing yourself during the first few weeks of the semester with the theory and practice of the 4 basic techniques of microbiology, you will be able to perform almost any introductory-level experiment found in any standard laboratory manual. |
| The lab exercises in the latter half of the semester demonstrate the scientific process through an investigative, discovery-driven project. This project is often centered around the Winogradsky Column (WC), which shows how physiological, biochemical, genetic and evolutionary processes give rise to complex ecological interactions and population dynamics in a "mini" or portable microbial community that grows and develops over time. Other semesters involve a research project centered around identifying bacterial species from complex mixtures of unknowns retrieved from naturally occurring sources in the environment (instead of the WC). You will learn and apply molecular and biochemical techniques to identify bacterial species. Therefore the emphasis of the lab combines basic techniques with general, fundamental biological concepts, and uses microbial organisms in an investigative project to demonstrate and integrate these concepts. |
Attendance
and Participation in all laboratories
is required. Your performance in the lab will be evaluated by a variety of criteria,
including: |
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Lab Exercise Schedule
Jan.30 |
Lab #1 |
Lab
Orientation: --choose lab bench partners and sign seating chart. --microscope assignments; hall-locker assignments. --description of lab supplies and equipment; check supplies against list. --safety rules and procedures; sign safety sheet. --lab fees collections. --introduction to the Custom Lab Manual (CLM). |
Feb.6 |
Lab #2 |
Exercise #1
in CLM (Custom
Lab Manual): The Compound
Microscope Exercise #3 in CLM: Aseptic Transfer Techniques, p.11-23 |
Feb.13 |
Lab #3 |
Explanation of the Research Project
(handout provided) Ex. #7 in CLM: Preparing a Smear and simple stain Ex. #8 in CLM: Gram-staining |
| Feb.20 | Lab #4 | Ex. #12
in CLM: Pour
plate techniques Ex. #13 in CLM: Streak plate and spread plate techniques --assignment and processing of unknown bacterial samples-- |
| Feb.27 | Lab #5 | --EXAM #1 |
| Mar. 6 | Lab #6 | --Gram-staining of all assigned
unknowns; Group discussions with
instructor; see
Biochemical Tests
for an excellent review with
diagnostic pictures of your biochemical tests --Research Project handout Ex. #21 in CLM: Selected Microbial enzymes and Biochemical tests Ex. #22 in CLM: Biochemical tests for nitrogen-containing substrates |
| Mar. 13 | Lab #7 | Ex. #23
in CLM: Carbohydrate fermentation Ex. #24 in CLM: the IMViC biochemical tests |
| Mar. 20 | Lab #8 | Conjugation in
bacteria: (handout) The Ames Test: (handout) |
| Lab#9 |
--begin Molecular Analyses of all
unknowns: Preparation of Unknown
DNA samples. --PCR of Microbial DNA samples. |
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| Apr. 3 | Lab#10 | --EXAM #2 |
| Apr. 10 | Lab#11 | --Gel Electrophoresis of PCR fragments from Lab #8 |
| Apr. 17 | Lab#12 | Bioinformatics and Genomics of Bacteria |
| Apr. 24 | Lab#13 | --Group Discussions and/or Open Lab for extra Biochemical tests |
| May 1 | Lab#14 | --Group Presentations of final Results |
| May 8 | Lab#15 | --Lab Check-out: clean drawers, remove tubes and slants, check microscope |
| May 12 | --EXAM #3 (Final Exam period at 9:00am in room 241) |
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