Practical Microbiology& Immunology

Microbiology
Microbiology is the science dealing with microorganisms We are going to study microorganisms: Microscopically Macroscopically

Our session today

Culture media Aseptic technique Sources of contamination

Culture Medium
Definition: It is a medium used for growing microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast. Forms: liquid, solid, semi solid

Essential requirements in culture media

Any culture medium must contains:
-A source of energy -Sources of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus -Minerals, e.g., Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ -Vitamins and growth factors - Water

Classification of culture media according to chemical composition

Synthetic media (chemically defined): exact chemical composition is known Complex media: Contains ingredients whose exact chemical composition is not known Usually, bacteria are grown in complex media

Examples of ingredients added in complex media

Beef extract : concentrate of hot aqueous infusion of fresh beef Peptone: Spray dried hydrolysate of various proteins Yeast extract: Spray dried water soluble autolysed yeast cells

 For solid medium, A solidifying agent is incorporated in the media: Agar (1-2%) Agar agar:It is an unbranched polysaccharide obtained from the cell membranes of some species of red algae or seaweed. Not digested by M.O Agar melts in a water bath at 98 C, and solidifies at 42 C

Basic media
These are media which may be used for cultivation of most ordinary microorganisms May be in liquid form ex: Nutrient broth : composed of beef ext+ Peptone+ Nacl May be in a solid form ex: Nutrient agar: similar to nutrient broth but supplemented with 1-2% agar

Solid culture media

deep

Slant

Plate (Petri dish)

Inoculation
Inoculation: Surface:Streaking using an inoculation loop Seed: Suspension of M.O is put in the plate Then agar is poured or M.O is mixed with agar at suitable temperature.

Incubation
plate is incubated, usually for 24 to 36 hours, to allow the bacteria to reproduce. At the end of incubation there should be enough bacteria to form visible colonies in the areas touched by the inoculation loop.

 M.O are widely distributed around us

How to avoid contamination of our work with pure culture?

Aseptic technique
the procedures used by microbiologists to prevent microbial contamination of themselves, which may result in infection, contamination of the environment they are working in and contamination of the specimen they are working on, which is especially important when a pure culture is desired.

 Aseptic technique involves:

1- working in 20 cm diameter around a blue flame (sterile zone)

2-Never leave a culture dish open, even for a short time ,When it is necessary to open a dish, keep the lid close to the dish, and keep the lid between your face and the agar surface. 3- For most bacterial cultures you will use a sterile loop or needle to inoculate or to obtain an inoculum. 4-Flame a loop or needle to red-hot just prior to use, burning off any organic material ,Cool the loop by touching the sterile agar or liquid surface prior to touching a culture

 Pass the neck of a culture tube or any container with a culture or sterile contents through a flame before taking culture from it Use sterile glass wares Use sterile culture media

Aseptic technique

Practical work Sources of contamination

Materials one sterile petri dish one molten nutrient agar tube Procedure 1- Pour the nutrient agar tube at the suitable temperature aseptically into the provided plate 2- Leave the nutrient agar plate to solidify 3- Expose the agar plate to one of the following source of contamination:

Practical work Sources of contamination

- Air - Forced air - Skin touch - cough - a piece of hair or cloth - drop of water 4- A student in each bench will perform a control plate 5- Label the cover of the plate with your name, nb, source of contamination 6- Incubate the plate inverted , except for water containing plates

Pouring agar