Heather Elia

Effect of Antibiotic Treatment on Microbial Growth

Abstract: In this experiment we tested broad range and narrow range spectrum
antibiotics with the microorganisms of E. aerogenes, B. cereus, and S. lutea. Tetracycline
and Chloramphenicol represents the broad spectrum and Penicillin represents the narrow
spectrum. We placed three bacterial disks on a plate of each type of microbe to see how it
reacted and if it was inhibited. Our results showed that Chloramphenicol inhibited the
most, Tetracycline next, and Penicillin the least (sometimes no inhibition at all).
Therefore, concluding that broad spectrum antibiotics are better at inhibiting these
microbes that were tested.
Introduction: The purpose of this experiment is to develop an understanding of how
different antibiotics affect the growth of different microorganisms. Broad and narrow
spectrum antibiotics and gram positive and gram negative bacterium will be used in the
tests. The zone of inhibition that is formed by the antibiotic is observed by how large or
small the zone is. The larger the zone of inhibition, the more susceptible is the bacteria.
The smaller the zone of inhibition, the more resistant is the bacteria. Creating bad
conditions for bacterial growth might be better than attempting to kill them all with
chemicals. Antibiotics target microbes with minimal side effects to the host but will also
kill friendly host bacteria such as the ones in the digestive tract. Antibiotics are produced
by mold, produced by other bacteria, and can also be produced in laboratory.

Heather Elia
Materials:
1. 3 petri dishes labeled 1-3
2. 3 bottles of easy gel labeled 1-3
3. Ethanol
4. Forceps
5. Bunsen burner
6. Bacteria: E. aerogenes, B. cereus, S. lutea
7. Antibiotic disks: Tetracycline (red), Penicillin (blue), Chloramphenicol (black)
Methods:
1. Each group was provided with three petri dishes and three bottles of Easygel.
2. Pour each bottle of Easygel and pour the liquid from bottle #1 into Petri dish #1 as
instructed by your teacher. Do the same thing with sets #2 and #3. Swirl and rock
the dish so the bottom is covered by liquid.
3. Leave the dishes there so they can solidify
4. Label the dishes with your initials, date, etc. As well as the name of the bacteria in
which it is inoculated.
5. Using forceps, aseptically add the antibiotic disks. Place each disk equally away
from the other disks and dont touch them by hand according to the illustration on
the Antibiotic effects kit handout
6. Incubate the dishes
7. After incubation measure the zones of inhibition by placing a ruler at the bottom
of the Petri dishes.

Heather Elia

Results:
Zones of Inhibition (Diameter in cm)
Organism
Chloramphenicol (black)
E. aerogenes (-) 2(R) = 7(2) = 14cm
B. cereus (+)
2(R) = 10(2) = 20cm
S. lutea (+)
2(R) = 20(2) = 40cm
(R)= radius

Penicillin(blue)
NONE
NONE
2(R) = 2(3) = 6cm

Tetracycline(Orange)
2(R) = 2(5) = 10cm
2(R) = 2(7) = 14cm
2(R) = 2(12) = 12cm

Discussion: The first plate containing the gram negative bacterium E. aerogenes, shows
Chloramphenicol giving the best zone of inhibition, which inhibited the bacteria the most.
We did not; however, see any zone of inhibition with penicillin, which the bacteria seems
resistant to. In the second plate with the gram positive bacterium B. cereus, we see
similar results involving Chloramphenicol having the best zone of inhibition, tetracycline
second, and penicillin with no zone of inhibition once again. In the last plate with the
gram positive bacteria S. lutea, the results were also similar. The zones of inhibition were
much larger and even penicillin had very little diffused inhibition. This experiment
showed that broad spectrum antibiotics were more effective.
Acknowledgements: Mansi Parasramka and my lab partners Maysoon and Fadi.
Bibliography:
Mansi Parasramka class slides Antibiotic Assay
Antibiotic Effects Kit Student Worksheet