Unknown Bacteria Identification Report

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Introduction: This report details the steps taken and processes used to discover the identity of the unknown organism given on Tuesday, November 28th, 2017. With all of the knowledge and skills gained over the semester, in class and in lab, unknown organism 6C was able to be positively identified. The objective of these labs was to successfully utilize the tests and procedures taught during the course to correctly identify the organism and to be able to explain the reasoning behind the tests used and results found. Procedures: On the first day of the lab, an unknown bacteria was presented. The sample of the bacteria was labeled simply as 6C. First, the colony morphologies of the bacteria were observed. It was circular in form, raised in elevation, …show more content…

The urease hydrolysis test was used to detect the production of urease and ultimately ammonia which urease produces. The urease test was conducted by inoculating the slant of the agar. If urease was produced it would hydrolyse urea and create ammonia which would increase the pH and turn the agar hot pink. Therefore, a positive urease test would have a color change to hot pink agar, whereas a negative urease test would have no color change and the agar would remain its original color. The last test performed to assist in determining the identity of the unknown bacteria was a citrate utilization test. This test was chosen to determine if the unknown organism could use citrate as its sole carbon and energy source. It was completed by inoculating the slant of Simmons citrate agar and allowing access to oxygen. A positive result would include a color change in the agar from green to blue, due to the utilization of citrate causing an increase in pH. A negative result would not include a color change in the agar, it would remain …show more content…

Capsule stains are used to detect if the bacteria can produce a capsule. A capsule is a thick layer outside of the cell wall that protect the bacteria from leukocytes and helps with the bacteria's ability to invade its host. A capsule stain was performed using Congo red, acid-alcohol, and acid fusion along with a smear of the bacteria. A positive would result in the ability to see a capsule surrounding the bacteria. A negative would result in only seeing the bacteria and no capsule around it. Results and Discussion: The gram stain was negative. The bacterial cells observed under the microscope were pink in color from the safranin stain, but all traces of the crystal violet were washed away with the alcohol wash. The bacterial cells were observed to be small and bacillus or rod shaped. The MAC plate test was negative. Though the color of the agar changed from pink to yellow, the color bacterial colonies was unchanged. Rather than pink colonies, there were white colonies growing on the plate. The ornithine decarboxylase test was negative. Though the results were rendered invalid by being left to incubate over the weekend, it was determined and then confirmed that the test was negative. The bacteria could not produce decarboxylase. This caused the medium to medium to remain acidic and be yellow in

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