BIOLOGY 306 - MICROBIOLOGY
LABORATORY SYLLABUS
Fall 2005
Welcome to BIOL 306 Biology
of Microorganisms Laboratory. Our goal in BIOL 306 is to teach you the basic
techniques used in a general microbiology laboratory. You will be introduced to laboratory
techniques in culturing, staining, and identifying bacteria and fungi. Also, we will look at the affect of
antimicrobial agents on bacteria, and we will learn to enumerate bacteria in
pure culture. Exercises in bacterial conjugation and transformation will
introduce you to techniques of bacterial genetics, whereas an exercise using
bacteriophage will introduce you to a methodology used by virologists. Also, an
exercise on the web will introduce you to microbiology web sites of
interest.
Each student will be expected to communicate with his/her instructor by
email between laboratory sessions as needed. Hence, students are expected to have an
active GMU email account.
Dr. Paulette Royt is the coordinator of BIOL 306. Any questions
concerning the course should be directed to her. Dr. Royt can be reached at (703)
993-1058, proyt@gmu.edu , or during her
office hours which are Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 11:30 am. Her web site address is http://mason.gmu.edu/~proyt
Each student is required to purchase Biology of Microorganisms
Laboratory Manual, 2005 by Drs. Royt and
Andrykovitch. The manual is for
sale in the campus bookstore.
Please consult the “Welcome to the Microbiology Laboratory” section for
more information on the course.
As course coordinator, I wish you a successful
semester.
Paulette W. Royt
SYLLABUS
|
Week of |
Exercise* |
Page* |
|
Aug. 29 |
1
Brightfield Microscopy |
7 |
|
|
2
Culture of Microorganisms |
13 |
|
|
3
Normal Flora of Human Hands |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept. 5 |
Presentation on Lab Safety, Ms. Ericka Pearce,
Biological Safety Officer, GMU |
|
|
|
4 Observing Microorganisms:
The Simple Stain |
19 |
|
|
5 Microscopic
Measurements |
25 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept. 12 |
6 Pure Culture
Techniques |
31 |
|
|
7 Identification of an Unknown
Bacterium |
36 |
|
|
8 The Gram
Stain |
42 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept. 19 |
9
The Negative Stain |
46 |
|
|
14 The Acid Fast Stain |
76 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept. 26 |
11
Measurement of Bacterial Cell Number |
54 |
|
|
|
|
|
Oct. 3 |
10
Flagella and Motility |
49 |
|
|
12 Oxygen
Requirements of Bacteria |
69 |
|
|
|
|
|
Oct. 10 |
Labs do not meet this week |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct. 17 |
Results of Exercise 11: Introduction to
SigmaPlot |
139 |
|
|
Presentation: Principles of the Safe Use of
Microorganisms in the Laboratory |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Oct. 24 |
13
The Spore Stain |
73 |
|
|
15
Bacterial Genetics: Conjugation |
79 |
|
|
|
|
|
Oct. 31 |
23
Transformation of a Bacterial Host with Plasmid
Vector |
131 |
|
|
|
|
|
Nov. 7 |
20
Identification of an Unknown Enterobacteriaceae |
107 |
|
|
21
The Molds |
118 |
|
|
|
|
|
Nov. 14 |
20
Identification of an Unknown Enterobacteriaceae, cont |
107 |
|
|
17
Disinfectants & Antiseptics: Demo and
Discussion |
91 |
|
|
18 Antibiotics: Demonstration and
Discussion |
93 |
|
|
|
|
|
Nov. 21 |
Labs do not meet this week. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nov. 28 |
16
Bacteriophage Assay |
87 |
|
|
Review |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec. 5 |
Final Laboratory Exam (Cumulative) |
|
* Royt, Paulette W. and George Andrykovitch. 2005. Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory Manual, Kendall/Hunt Publishers.
Your final grade will be
determined as follows:
|
Five 10 point quizzes (lowest grade is
dropped) |
40 points |
|
Identification of unknown
#1 |
10 points |
|
Identification of unknown
#2 |
10 points |
|
Laboratory manual |
20 points |
|
Cumulative final |
20 points |
|
Total possible points |
100 |
Final
grades:
|
93-100
|
A |
|
90-92
|
A- |
|
87-89 |
B+ |
|
83-86 |
B |
|
80-82 |
B- |
|
77-79 |
C+ |
|
70-76 |
C |
|
60-69 |
D |
|
<60 |
F |