P
D
C
C
C 		Microbiology Schedule of Lectures and Labs
Current notes and guidance
June 10-11, 2008

  1. General: Do NOT take the "Microbiology Schedule of Lectures and Labs" too seriously when looking into the future. It is mostly an accumulation of our past accomplishments. E.g.: "Tests" - You don't like tests, and Dr. V doesn't like tests. Real life has very few tests (driver's license test, but there is no marriage license test!). Life is mostly full of little "quizzes." So Dr. V is prompted to giving you lots of little quizzes. But to keep PDCCC happy, we'll have at least one final test (exam), but it will count for perhaps 4 quizzes in relative weight. How's that? (Dr. V wants to add flexibility particularly into this class because you need it what with kids' getting sick at home, etc., etc. Not to mention Veronica's need for a "leave of absence"...)

  2. Lecture: As we now have in place the methods for dealing with the initial aspects of the neonatal bacteria project, we can go back and pick up on what is normally the opening lectures of the course.

        Regarding helping someone, you have heard that it is better to teach someone how to fish than merely giving them a fish. As a break in lecture, you will have an exercise in science: learning how to think rather than merely be given the facts.

  3. Lab: As of this writing, it is not yet known whether we will be tackling the neonatal project or not. If not, then we have the honey project to work on.

    Neonatal Option: We have two things to do - enumerate the numbers of bacteria and determine the proportion of G(+) and G(-), including knowing how much E. coli is mixed in with the G(-).

    1. Total cfu's per sample (three groups per lab section): at best this will only be a guesstimate as all we have are swabs. We will be able to determine whether there are zillions of bacteria or only a few or none. We'll do plate-counts on nutrient agar.
    2. G(-) and E. coli (three groups per lab section): much the same but you'll be doing plate-counts on MacConkey agar, and then noting the numbers of red colonies (E. coli) and pinkish colonies (non-E.coli Gram-negatives)

    Honey Option: Different sub-projects will be distributed to the various lab groups for purposes of characterizing the antibiotic agent in honey. All the "easy" ones will be done by one group, and the other subprojects will be done one to a group.

    1. Heat stability (easy)
    2. pH stability (easy)
    3. Effect of a protease on it (easy)
    4. Electrophoretic mobility
    5. Molecular weight (macromolecular or not?) by dialysis
    6. alcohol stability
    7. (NH4)2SO4 precipitable? (AS↓?)
    8. NaIO4 susceptibility (periodate tests for saccharides)

Notes and handouts you should PRINT OUT for Week #2 are:

Lab Notes by Date:
May: | 5/20,21 | 5/27,28 |
June: | 6/03,04 | 6/10,11 | 6/17,18 | 6/24,25 |
July: | 7/01,02 | 7/08,09 | 7/15,16 | 7/22,23 | 7/29 (FINAL EXAM) |