#microbio laboratory

[er-cryptid]

Fungal filaments under 10x

[springstick]

I'll miss micro lab...

TSIA, Citrate, TSIA

Do I have like 3 other microbiology courses in my future? Yes. Will I miss this lab? Also yes, a lot. I loved this lab. My first introduction to real microbiology. The lab that made me realize I want to go into microbiology in the future. I'm happy to have taken it :)

[wikipediapictures]

Riboflavin

“Micrococcus luteus (ATCC strain number 49442) develops a yellow color due to production of riboflavin while growing on pyridine but not when grown on other substrates, such as succinic acid.” - via Wikimedia Commons

[junhuiste]

experi-meant to be ⋆ park wonbin

pairing: wonbin x gn reader

tags/warnings: fluff, cursing, college au, laboratory environment, one mention of baking, 1600 words

a/n: i meant to publish this on valentine’s day since i had lab that day but i never finished it lol. there’s some microbio lab procedure jargon so like this is what streaking plates is if you want a visual lmfaoao. this is my first published work in like three years it feels weird haha + i might change my layout/header for fics but for now i’ll keep the same layout i've had for past fics

wonbin believes U are the uracil to his adenine—you should always be paired together.

| seunghan: dude 

| seunghan: lowkey i can’t come to lab bc my car won’t fucking start so i’ll have to make it up next week :\ but taehyun and his partner would probably be willing to help you out with calculations and clean up hopefully

Wonbin pants heading up the stairs into the classroom lab, cheeks immediately pink as he’s made a spectacle amongst everyone already sitting and tuned into the TA’s pre-lab lesson. Sighing as he processes Seunghan’s text, Wonbin turns to the drawing of bacterial growth curves on the whiteboard but is soon after preoccupied with the fact that there is no Taehyun on a stool. There’s just your backside entirely in front of him. 

Taehyun is one to set up all his materials before the TA even steps foot through the lab door so if he isn’t here now then that means—

“Guess you’re stuck with me for today.” 

Wonbin tries to swallow but it gets stuck halfway down his throat and is about to go into a choke type cough frenzy when he surprises himself and softly clears his throat instead. His thoughts are all just stuck there—in the middle of his esophagus, begging for them to travel back up to his brain so he has enough stamina to stick it through the four hour class. 

“No hate to him because Taehyunnie’s a tad faster at getting through the steps, so you know, we’re usually out thirty minutes early, but I can promise you I’m better at calculations. And I’m more precise with measurements,” you let out a small giggle before setting your backpack on the floor next to Wonbin’s.

The commotion of pipettes being thrown onto the surface, glass tubes clinking, and sneakers squeaking rushing to obtain their samples is right away drowned out in Wonbin’s ears by the sight of you perched atop the stool a mere few inches away from him. He tries to keep his chest from heaving at bay by taking his notebook out of his backpack and reviewing the method for today’s class. The solution is only short lived though, promptly taking notice of how you gather materials from the drawer while simultaneously reading through your own notebook. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Wonbin assumes his seat in the third to last row of his Virology lecture, close enough to the door that he can be among the first to leave as soon as “see you guys next time” leaves Professor Choi’s lips. He longs for the day (ideally it would be quite before the last week of classes but realistically that’s the best he has to offer for now) that he musters up just the slightest bit of courage to join you and Taehyun in the second row, where Seunghan also occasionally accompanies you two. It’s only the third week of this semester, but perhaps the sixth course of his over the past three years Wonbin’s seen you in. From Biochemistry to Rhetoric 2, he has never taken place at a desk next to yours. 

Wonbin’s always aching to know how you’d answer everything he could ever ask you, be it the attendance quiz question or your weekend plans—what time you usually roll out of bed, whether or not you stroll to the local farmer’s market near campus, if you’re spending Saturday with a special someone. He needs to hear you laugh at Taehyun’s cynicism about college. He needs to hear it up close, not having to strain his ear when he’s fifteen rows behind when you crack up at your friend during the five minute break Professor Choi gives the class. 

But Wonbin will take what he can get for now, and if that’s helping you fulfill your wish of completing the lab procedure as quickly as possible, he’ll do it. 

“I can do the calculations for us,” you begin, “would you mind getting our mutant strains at the front of the class and streak the Petri dishes?” 

Wonbin nods almost too enthusiastically and curses at himself for seeming embarrassingly desperate in front of you. Sure, he’d like to muster up the courage to ask you out, but today he’ll try to take it one step at a time.

When Wonbin returns with new plates to grow your bacteria on and two tubes filled with your bacterial strains, you scoot your chair closer to his to later show the finished calculations. He catches a whiff of your light perfume and almost falls out of his own chair. 

As he’s setting up the Bunsen burner for sterilization, you chuckle, “you know the real reason Taehyun’s not here today is because he left town last night to get a head start on the extravagant romantic weekend he has planned with Gaeul.”

“If there’s one way to use our one free unexcused absence, that’ll do it,” Wonbin replies. 

“Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day, Wonbin? I mean if you did I just hope you wouldn’t leave me early like Taehyun did,” your eyes meet his for a brief second before flitting back to your notebook.

Wonbin’s grip on the matchstick to light the burner loosens. He just barely catches himself before the match could fall from his hand onto the lab bench. What he needed to get a grip on was his fucking sanity—he almost set the classroom on fire because his heart instead is aflame for yours. 

Taking a breath, Wonbin exhales when the flame turns to blue, finally lighting the Bunsen burner. 

“Nope, no plans,” he briefly turns to you. There’s a beat and he considers that asking you back would seem too forward, but he does it anyway. 

Upon seeing your grin before you open your mouth, he turns his attention right back to the tubes and plates in front of him. 

It’s so over. 

For a second Wonbin’s relieved, because he thinks he can actually get through the next two hours without overthinking his micro movements in front of you. Now that it’s over for him, maybe he can actually pay attention to the way the metal loop he’s holding makes contact with the jelly-like agar inside the plastic plate and not disappoint Seunghan with the results. However, it’s not realistic because even still, Wonbin takes note of all your beauty and remains completely bewitched.

“Honestly I wish...I mean Minjeong, Yunjin and I are gonna do a rom-com binge and bake desserts…but you know…not any plans with someone like that…” 

Your temporary lab partner tries to hide his smile and nods silently as he continues switching between spreading bacteria on the plate with the metal loop and then sterilizing the loop in the blue flame. 

The rest of lab goes smoothly as Wonbin tries to quell the embers within him for the time remaining. There’s forty minutes left but technically to you Wonbin knows time is dashing away and it should feel like there’s what but only ten minutes left to do everything. Your pair was a few steps ahead of the others, just like how it would be when Taehyun accompanied you every week. 

Wonbin has been psyching himself up the past two hours to finally ask you out but currently he’s stuck in his head and just can’t seem to get it out. Does he chase you after you’ve stepped foot out of the lab or should he leave you be? Or maybe he can try next week. He’ll keep telling himself that until there’s one day of instruction left and then he won’t see you for three months and then he’ll lament the entire summer to Seunghan that he didn’t say shit. 

He can do that…or just rip the bandage off at an agonizing speed. 

The last Petri dish that Wonbin holds is being wrapped in parafilm to prevent contamination. He’d been going through the motions of the procedure while simultaneously not paying attention to his surroundings, at his own self’s behest. You’ve already cleaned the entire lab bench and he doesn’t notice until he hears “see you in Virology,” and suddenly you’re slinging your backpack over your shoulder. 

It’s now or next week…or never—wait you know that Wonbin’s in your Virology class? What you said is ringing in his ears and it hits him all at once.

Petri dishes in hand and turning around, Wonbin freezes in his tracks.

“Um…”

Your eyebrows furrow.

“Do you want to hang out tomorrow?” his own mouth betrays him and suddenly it’s all coming out much too quickly for his liking. 

You’re about to answer but before you can even get a word in, “I-I don’t mean to interfere with your plans with your friends but uh, if you wanted to do something like that I’m down.”

Your lips press into a line and Wonbin is about to pass out from the threatening fluorescent classroom lights. 

“Park Wonbin…are you asking me out on a date?” He can practically feel his sweat melting the parafilm tape off and a vision of him dropping the Petri dishes in front of you, cracking open and shattering, exposing E.coli to everyone in the room flashes before him. He blinks once and calms his vice grip on the plates. 

“Yes. Yes I am asking you out on a date,” Wonbin looks down at your sneakers, not knowing where else to shift his gaze to. 

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” you smirk, slinging the other strap of your backpack over your other shoulder and saluting.

Park Wonbin swears his heart is on fire and does a backflip off a fifty foot cliff. A curve forming on his lips, he smiles slightly waving with the plates still in his hand, “see ya…”

You halt your forward movement and turn back around, “Wonbin?” he perks up again, “you should sit next to me in lecture on Tuesday.”

[texasdreamer01]

Atlantis Expedition: Science Division Departments - Life Sciences Department

We're a bit further from the original post, having already done the medical department, so now it's time for the Life Sciences.

Much like the medical department, the notes for this underwent significant revision (nearly entirely re-done), to better granulate expectations for the department's duties and how they interact, primarily, with the medical department. Below is the original estimation, with struck text indicating revisions:

> Head: OC > Contains: Earth biologists, bio- & biochemical engineers, astro/xeno-biologists, botany, environmental chemistry, zoology, microbiology > Function: Auxiliary to Medical Department needs > Examples of function: pharmaceutical synthesis, analysis of unknown species, biological database creation, gene therapies (pharmaceutical adjacent) > Personnel quantity: 1 (Head) + 2 (Earth biologists) + 2 (bioE & biochemE) + 1 2 (astro/xenobio) + 1 (botany) + 1 (envchem) + 1 (zoo) + 2 1 (microbio) = 11 > Personnel quantity: 1 (Head) + 1 (physiologist) + 1 (geneticist) + 1 (astrobiologist) + 1 (xenobiologist) + 1 (microbiologist) + 1 (botanist) + 1 (zoologist) + 1 (biomedical engineer) + 1 (biochemical engineer) + 3 (medical laboratory scientists) = 13 > A/N: Both biologists also have training/specialization in genetics/gene mapping (assists both Carson and Katie), some input in requesting gate missions based on in-house needs > A/N: Focus is on medical logistics and supporting Medical Department needs, research parameters fulfill SGC outlines of studying microevolutions and drug technology development.

Following on the parameters of 1) putting people through the inter-galactic theoretical shredder is expensive, and 2) said gate shredder will only be open for a certain amount of time, the vast majority of this department's work will be geared toward the analysis, creation, testing, and preparation of pharmaceutical drugs and other inventions of medical context.

Think compounding pharmacy but better equipped, and capable of researching new things - this department specializes in medical logistics. Wikipedia has a better description of this, so I'll pull a quote:

Medical logistics is the logistics of pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical devices and equipment, and other products needed to support doctors, nurses, and other health and dental care providers.[1] Because its final customers are responsible for the lives and health of their patients, medical logistics is unique in that it seeks to optimize effectiveness rather than efficiency.

As with most things contrived by the SGC, there's going to be a lot of blended specialties and overlap, heavily bolstered by technological innovation. These are people Carson Beckett likely hired, or at least had a heavily-weighted opinion when Rodney was going through the application packets, because the Life Sciences is at a one-step remove from actually handling patients, and handles a significant amount of labwork and research.

The revised numbers weigh heavily in favour of biologists, due to the sheer breadth and depth of the subject, and the fact that most of these are likely to have some sort of SGC training that would make them well-versed on what to expect on the expedition in terms of disease research and thus treatment solutions.

Unlike the medical department, which handles patients directly in different aspects, this is all one "team". If you're looking for a group of scientists that can technically have the same generic appellation that would make one of them go, "Well, actually-", this is the place to look.

On to the breakdown, notes included:

> Earth biologists  » 2x of these  » Specialties?   ⇛ Human physiology (academic rather than medical context)   ⇛ May function as a knowledge base to study how the physiology of the expedition changes by long-term habitation in Atlantis, assists in studying long-term effects of the ATA gene therapy, development of knowledge base as Earth-based physiology changes in reaction to Pegasus galaxy habituation (exposure to local diseases, eating of local foods, etc)   ⇛ Geneticist   ⇛ Same as the human physiologist, but in a genetic context   ⇛ Studies genetic drift of the expedition and builds knowledge base for comparisons of baseline to genetic mutations that build up over time > Astro/xenobiology  » 2x of these   ⇛ 1 of each  » SGC special  » Studies the species and speciation of non-human humanoid species   ⇛ Imports from studying the Jaffa, Goa'uld, and Replicators (xenobiologist in particular)   ⇛ Overlap with parasitology and immunology/histocompatibility (Goa'uld and Jaffa, respectively) > Microbiology  » "Most microbiologists specialize in a given topic within microbiology such as bacteriology, parasitology, virology, or immunology."  » Studies the species and speciation of bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of parasites and their vectors > Botany  » Study of species and speciation of plant species  » Outline of botany > Zoology  » Study of species and speciation of non-human animal species  » Outline of zoology > Biomedical engineer  » REVAMP from bio-engineering  » Actually makes the pharmaceuticals based on the feedstocks and processes biochem engineers designed for them   ⇛ Works with biochem engineers to feedback on the design process of drug manufacturing   ⇛ Biologics as well as inert (in comparison) materials for drug development   ⇛ Pharmacology    ⟹ Most likely all drugs are powdered for shelf-stability and ease of transportation     ⭆ So their responsibility in this would be referencing the SGC formulary (how many books to a Frasier) on reconstituting these drugs      ➾ Compounding     ⭆ What about topical prescriptions? Gel-based? Powder for gels, as well      ➾ More complex formulation     ⭆ What about gases, for sedation?      ➾ Probably compressed canisters? > Biochemical engineer  » Would not have existed in the early 2000s as a field related to process engineering, so an SGC special  » Also useful for researching food preservation methods  » Synthesizes information from peers in this department to create pharmaceutical drugs and their manufacturing process > Medical Laboratory scientist  » Does the legwork of processing samples for everyone, so needs a wide range of skills   ⇛ 3x of these   ⇛ Specialties    ⟹ Immunology/histopathology/hematology     ⭆ Human tissues    ⟹ Microbiology/bacteriology     ⭆ Bacterial forms of infection    ⟹ Virology/mycology/parasitology     ⭆ Non-bacterial forms of infection      ➾ Routes of non-bacterial infection > Environmental chemistry  » Role covered under biochem engineering  » Biochem engineers can cover the study of pollution that envirochems specialize in

Environmental chemistry section preserved to properly annotate the revisions, and what their original role was supposed to be (i.e. study pollution to solve Earth's pollution issues).

It occurred to me, while revising personnel lists, that the biologists in particular will need to divide their research into some broad categories, if they want to properly develop their research topics and what category of formulations they would require from the non-biologists in the department.

We have human species, yes, but that can be parsed from Milky Way to Pegasus galaxies, and from there Earth-based humans vs Jaffa (vs Goa'uld), and Pegasus-based humans (presumably humans, as they probably wouldn't know for sure that the Ancients were the default sentient or even default humanoid species in the Pegasus galaxy).

The human microbiome is incredibly important to understanding homeostasis, disease pathology, and various other interconnected factors. Because of this, the medical laboratory scientists will be heavily relied upon to develop cultures for study. I'm willing to believe that they have some nifty adapted technology to help them study all of these subjects I've shoved under multiple umbrellas, in the form of culturing processes, reagents, microscopes, analyzing software, preserving agents/methods, and the like.

After that, testing to see how these diseases - or potential diseases, if someone in the Pegasus galaxy hosts a bacteria, virus, fungus, or parasite that their immune system is natively robust to - might infect a member of the expedition. This is where a lot of back-and-forth would be done between the Life Sciences and Medical departments, so it wouldn't be uncommon to see people like, say, Biro (pathology) and Katie Brown (botany) jointly doing research on a pathogen.

There's already a lot of canonical evidence to support this specialist overlap being a necessary concern, from the the Hoffan drug (and the subsequent Michael arc), John Sheppard's infection from an Iratus bug bite in Conversion, Asurans, Lucius' drug, the crystals of M3X-387, Kirsan fever, Jennifer Keller's infection from something that was turning her into a Wraith hiveship in The Seed, and the Second Childhood parasite.

Depending on the type of infection, a lot of the personnel in this department will coordinate with each other to develop a knowledge base, including potential therapeutic remedies. If something already in stock cannot be used (see: a potential cross-applicability of penicillin), then they might make a request to the head of the expedition for a gate team to travel based upon any information they might have (ex: Teyla and Ronon going out for samples of the Enchuri plant for treating Kirsan fever).

Because of their support role as a department, the fact that all the scientists here can be used as in-house reference for the medical department, and their unique position to recommend gate missions for consideration on the roster, this department functions well as a bridging gap for the various demands the expedition has placed on them by the IOA and the SGC.

Total Life Sciences Department Personnel

Head of Department: 1

Biologists: 5

Engineers: 2

Laboratory Scientists: 3

Botany: 1

Zoology: 1

Total total: 13

I'll be going over canonical personnel such as Katie Brown in their own posts, but for now this is a general accounting of the expedition’s life sciences department.

[sciencerants]

Hello travelers! Welcome to the Science Blog!!!

It is here that you will find a lot of random science things that I currently find really cool and interesting. I made this blog because my other blog is getting filled with physics and bio-centric posts. So here is a blog dedicated to my hyperfixations XD

The topics you will mainly encounter here are ecology, general zoology, entomology, marine bio, microbio, neuro, botany, human health, behavioral biology, research, laboratory science, studying, and probably a lot more. It really depends on what has caught my interest that day.

Thanks for reading the post and have fun!!!

[caella-v]

If it's not too personal, what do you do for your job??

Medical laboratory scientist! I work in a hospital and do all the lab stuff. Ranges from clinical chemistry over hematology and microbiology to coagulation analysis and immune hematology(aka blood typing). For the fact that we're a pretty small hospital we've got a pretty broad catalogue. I took over as lead of hematology last year, basically that's where we look at the blood cells and look if there's anything wrong with them (or their amounts). I'm second in command in microbio for whatever reason and inofficially the lead of parasitology (which is no separate section here but sometimes people just have worms or malaria and we need to do something about it). An important thing to add is that I'm NOT a doctor. I don't like dealing with people but still want to help them so yeah. Off to the lab I went. (My WhatsApp icon is a cute blood cell I found that kinda looks like a rubber ducky :3)

[medical-gal]

Trust your gut.

80something patient with fever and new fibrilation is admitted as suspected covid. Pcr is positive, tho they dont need no oxygenotherapy and there are no signs of pneumonia on chest xrey.

Abdominal ultrasound shows signs of chronic cholecystitis, but laboratory parameters for liver r normal. Their inflammatory parameters are high, procalcitonin is elevated, also white blood cells. They r stable and besides immobilization they r not really in much of a distress.

I ordered also hemocultures which singnilized positivity, second day the microbio guy calls, HE grows Enterococcus faecalis.

Ok now where is the source? My boss was SURE its the gallblader but she was clinically quiet with no abdominal discomfort. I was not so sure.

Do u know which is typical source in about 30 to 50percent of patients with this bacteria in hemocultures? (just like... Look at that caption😂).

Anyhow we ordered ct abdomen and viola- malignity of lower intestine suspected.

[biotecnika]

CSIR-NCL Project Assistant Job – Biotech/Mol Bio/Microbio/Genomics Apply CSIR-NCL Project Assistant Job – Biotech/Mol Bio/Microbio/Genomics Apply. NCL Pune is hiring MSc Microbiology/Biotechnology/Molecular Biology/Genomics candidates for a project post. Interested and eligible candidates check out all of the details below: This job expires in :   CSIR-NATIONAL CHEMICAL LABORATORY PUNE 411 008 No. NCIM/MD/08 Applications are […] The post COVID-19 Project Recruitment at CSIR-NCL – Online Applications Invited appeared first on BioTecNika .

[biopsychs]

I love microbiology but it is a difficult class and is made even more difficult when you have a bad prof. I started this post after I took an introduction to microbiology class but waited to finish it until I completed an upper year microbiology class this past semester. This way I can also provide insight and tips on what will help you not only in the class but also how to make sure you are prepared for upper year classes.

Topics you may cover in your intro microbio class:

History of microbiology

Microbial taxonomy (naming and classification)

Microscopy and specimen preparation

Prokaryotic cell structure and function

Microbial nutrition and growth

Control of microorganisms by chemical and physical agents

Microbial metabolism (including energy, enzymes, regulation, chemosynthesis, photosynthesis, and biosynthesis)

Microbial genetics (including replication, mutation,  gene expression, gene regulation, recombination, plasmids, etc.)

Virology

Immunology

And areas of/related to microbiology you may explore in upper classes may include: environmental microbiology, food and industrial microbiology, immunology, medical microbiology, molecular genetics, prokaryotic physiology, virology, and more!

Tip #1: Understand new material at the end of every week

Microbiology is a content heavy course. Even if you’re busy with other classes and responsibilities, do a thorough review of new content you’ve learned over the past week. Give yourself time to get help/go to office hours in case you don’t understand a concept (you can’t do this if you leave studying till the last minute).

Tip #2: Know the names of important microorganisms

This all depends on your prof. I had an insane prof who wanted us to know the names of every single microbe he mentioned in passing, but this shouldn’t be the case for everyone. The prof for my upper level microbiology class provided bonus marks if we could state the specific genus of a microorganism in any of our examples on the final exam. If you can, talk to students who have taken the class before for more insight.

Regardless, make sure you know the species, genus, etc. of microbes that your prof spent a significant amount of time talking about or ones that come up more than once.

Tip #3: Pay attention when you’re learning about metabolism

I say this for two reasons: (1) Metabolism is a difficult topic to understand and (2) It will benefit you to have a good understanding of metabolism now. Metabolism covers a wide range of ideas and concepts -- having a good understanding will help you in upper level bio/biochem classes and will help you link ideas together.

Tip #4: Study the material in different ways

Revise your notes in a variety of ways. I prefer to type my notes and write them out after class. Typing allows me to get all the info down, I can insert diagrams from lecture slides as I go, and leaves me with a detailed study guide to use when I’m studying for finals (I also add material from the textbook not covered in lectures to my typed notes after class). Writing out my notes afterwards reinforces the material, allows me to shorten my notes to the important stuff (e.g. I only draw necessary diagrams), and allows me to reorganize the material (e.g. make acronyms, put the info into a table, compare and contrast 2 concepts like cellular respiration and photosynthesis).

You can also use other methods to study such as flashcards, mind maps, read the material out loud, etc. Only use a method if it actually works for you -- for example, lots of people use flashcards to study but I rarely use them.

Another really good way to study is to make a practice test or at least think about how your prof will test certain concepts. This is a really helpful strategy for preparing for multiple choice and written questions.

Tip #5: Study with friends

This also ties into the idea of thoroughly learning new material at the end of every week. Plan a weekly study session or talk to your friends and hold each other accountable for staying on top of things.

I usually just met with one or two of my friends before each midterm. We would find a room with a whiteboard and spend an entire afternoon going over our notes together. I had other friends who would meet at least once a week and review the past week’s material together.

Tip #6: Draw it out

I personally love using whiteboards to study and would definitely recommend buying your own. If you don’t have one though, find an empty classroom with a whiteboard or just draw it out on a blank page. Don’t draw out every diagram you have available to you -- find the most useful ones! I like to draw out a process and then write down the description of the process side by side.

I also like to combine diagrams that I find useful. Drawing diagrams also works if you’re trying to compare and contrast processes. Having all the info laid out in one place can help you see what is truly similar or different, rather than trying to memorize the processes as separate things.

For example, I had a few different diagrams for photosynthesis in my notes. Instead of studying them separately I combined them together so I had all the info in one place.

Tip #7: Utilize all the resources available to you

Ask questions! Go to office hours! Most profs are happy to help meeting with them one-on-one really ensures you are getting a good understanding.

You can also ask your lab TA for clarification on concepts, because often the content you cover in labs is tied to content covered in lectures. My TA heard us all complaining about how our prof did not properly explain a difficult concept. So, she did a quick search and found the name of a youtube channel she remembered learning from in her undergrad.

As well, if the textbook for your class proves to be useful then actually use it! I like to read over the textbook chapter before class because then I can focus on understanding the fine details during lecture. (I’ve also compiled some online useful books and online resources at the bottom of this post for you to check out.)

Advice specifically for labs:

Use aseptic technique! Wash your hands, work close to the flame, etc. If you’re not sure about something, wait and ask your TA. And try not to spill anything. Someone in my lab spilled a tube of E.coli broth on their lab notebook which then had to be autoclaved, which meant they had to buy a new notebook.

DON’T FORGET TO FLAME THE LOOP!!

Even though you’ll be working in partners make sure you can do everything on your own. It might be easier to have your partner hold a piece of equipment while you do something else but it won’t help you when you’re doing the same work alone during a lab exam or as a research assistant.

Make sure you can do a Gram stain properly. If you can’t do a proper Gram stain consistently you can ask your TA if you can practice on a few slides or have them watch you do a Gram stain to correct any mistakes you’re making.

Be specific when answering questions. Your TA wants to make sure you know exactly what you’re doing. Also, write down the full name (species + genus) of the microorganism you’re working with the first time you mention it and then feel free to use the abbreviated form after (i.e. write down Escherichia coli first but refer to it as E.coli thereafter)

Listen and be safe. Your TA will probably stress safety a lot but make sure you pay attention if they tell you need to take certain precautions with certain microorganisms (especially where to dispose certain samples).

Have fun! My favourite memory of the lab was when we were looking at samples we had prepared from soil the week prior. Everyone was comparing the fungi that had grown in their petri dishes and trying to see who had the most “fuzzy” sample.

Plan your time well. Read through your prelab carefully and make note of tasks that may take up more time (waiting for molten agar to cool, waiting for a sample to dry so you can heat fix the slide, etc.).

Label everything! You really don’t want to forget which test tube contains which organism or which tube is which when performing a serial dilution

Tie in things you do in the lab to things you’ve learned in lectures. You’ll make lecture material more interesting and you might learn different applications of what you’re doing in the lab.

At the end of the lab: Dispose of your materials in the proper waste bins! Wipe down your lab bench! Wash your hands!

Microbiology resources:

Some books related to microbiology/cell biology (note: these books aren’t meant as study materials but discuss some really interesting topics related to microbiology): The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee, I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Young, Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif, Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plague by Martin Blaser, and Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen.

For my class I used Prescott’s Microbiology ( Willey, Joanne M., Sherwood, Linda M., Woolverton, Christopher J.; 8/e) and A Photographic Atlas for the Microbiology Laboratory (Leboffe, M.J. and Pierce, B.E.)

For online resources I will always recommend Khan Academy. I found they didn’t have everything I needed for this class specifically but the topics they did cover were explained well.

Wikipedia! I’ve had multiple profs this year tell me to use Wikipedia. Please don’t go citing Wikipedia in any of your lab reports (but you can look at their references at the bottom of page to find more info). Wikipedia is good for finding up to date information, especially for information related to microbial taxonomy.

Some Youtube channels that have helpful videos include: Armando Hasudungan, Bozeman Science, Crash Course (also I’m pretty sure there’s a song about the Krebs Cycle out there)

Check out my other posts here!

[bakteria-org]

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KaTa:Loge-Ando 111 La:Bo/ Rà_ToRïo. D'. MiKrø|Pig.Men;Ta_Cion #tinta #microtattoo #laboratory #inked #inkoculation #skin #tatto #sketch #sketchbook #catalog #microbio #microorganism #document #micropigmentation #morfogenesis #speculative #biota (at Downtown Montreal)

[cancerbiophd]

how would you recommend somebody with an undergraduate humanities background start to study pathology? i'm thinking microbio? but what else should i know/what basic math/science should i learn before i try to study pathology? and how would you go about giving advice to someone who's had no research experience to seek it out?

hello!!

microbio definitely! if you’re interested in human/animal pathology (vs plant pathology) i would also highly recommend:

basic biology - it may be best to start here before learning about microbiology

anatomy & physiology - in order to understand a body in a disease state, one needs to also understand a body in a normal healthy state

immunology - some will be covered in microbio and physiology, but a more in-depth immunology course could be helpful. 

basic science math - nothing wild like calculus, but just knowing some of the formulas used in research. here’s a great youtube channel that goes over some basic lab math (there are 2 videos, part 1 and part 2. i linked part 1)

and knowing some of the following would also be helpful:

clinical laboratory science - like understanding when and what clinical tests are prescribed to patients in order to reach a diagnosis

microscopy/histology - like being able to look at a biopsy sample under a microscope and knowing what tissue it is

history of pathology or human health discoveries - not only is it fascinating to see the course of how knowledge developed, it also teaches a lot about ethics, the scientific method, why things are the way they are and what needs to be changed, etc. your background in humanities will also offer a unique perspective as well. 

the internet is a great resource, especially free educational videos found on youtube and Khan Academy (the Biology and Health & Medicine sections are amazingly thorough). 

as for seeking out research experience, start where everyone starts: as a volunteer (which may turn into a paying position). seek out research laboratories at your college (even if you’ve already graduated, you can still join a lab; being a student is not a requirement) and surrounding research institutes. you can also try to shadow pathologists or clinical laboratory scientists (also known as medical laboratory technicians) if a local hospital/clinic has such opportunities.

find the contact info for such opportunities (like on the university laboratory’s website) and email or call. make your inquiry short and sweet: introduce yourself, tell them why you’re emailing/calling (ie. to inquire about volunteer positions in order to work towards your goal of gaining research experience), why you’re interested in their particular lab/clinic, and ask them if they have time to meet for an interview (or how you should next proceed). if you’re emailing, attach your resume. and then thank them for their time, and hope to hear from them soon! (be sure to include your contact info in your signature, or leave it before you end the call). 

one last note: as someone with a background in humanities, you bring a unique asset to science and medicine by having a different perspective (that is sometimes not present in labs with only STEM majors). be sure to leverage that unique asset during your interviews, and refuse to see it as a negative. after all, science and medicine can not exist without understanding humanities and the arts, and vice versa. we all need to work together to make the world a better happier place. 

hope that helps! best of luck!

[ccinthecity]

For PHI1401 (science and society) we were assigned to find artifacts of the infamous Rosalind Franklin, one of the integral figures in the discovery and modeling of the contemporary understanding of DNA. Although she studied at king's college, there was quite a lot of history in the Birkbeck building at University of London! Apparently, it was formerly called the school of crystallography (an x ray method by which Franklin and her contemporaries would conduct research), but is currently a set of biological laboratories. Among them, a dated CPK model of DNA, various plaques, and even portraits of the former presidents, with Rosalind's portrait hung at the head of the conference table. Outside of Birkbeck, Franklin has a few memorials—an english heritage plaque somewhere in/near chelsea, dedications in the microbio labs at King's College, and memories from the last PhD students of Dr. Wilkins, one of Franklin's fellow researchers.

[draciformes]

constantly paranoid that I am the only person who wears comfy wireless/sports bras 

[dinoguy]

Colonias lactosa positiva Muestra de esputo Medio MacConkey #microscope #microbiology #microbio #microbiologia #science #lactose #biology #qfb #soyqfb🎓 #💉 #🔬 #💊 #pink💕 #laboratory #laboratorio

[biotecnika]

Wellcome Trust / DBT India Alliance Project – Scientific Assistant Position at Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai Cancer Institute (WIA) Chennai is looking for suitable candidates to work in a Wellcome Trust / DBT India Alliance Project as a Scientific Assistant. You will be working in the Cancer Biology Laboratory. Interested applicants can check out all of […] The post Cancer Institute WIA Recruitment – MSc Biotech / Microbio / Genetics Apply appeared first on BioTecNika .