MCB2004L
Microbial control lab report instructions
This report covers the microbial control setup and interpretation labs, and should contain the following
elements in labeled sections.
All text should be in your own words, even if you cite your source (no direct quotes!). You will also be
graded on whether your writing is clear and organized (5pts), you used correct terminology (5pts), and
on writing mechanics (spelling/grammar/capitalization/etc; 5pts). Remember that scientific names
should be in italics, with only the genus name capitalized; example: Escherichia coli.
Title: – A descriptive summary of the investigation you performed in lab (5pts)
Introduction: should contain all of the following:
Introduce the purpose of the lab activity– why did you perform this investigation? (5 pts)
Put the investigation in context: In what situations would someone want to test the
susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics? (5 pts)
What is a Kirby-Bauer test, and how does it help people identify bacterial
resistance/susceptibility? (10 pts)
Materials and methods: should be in paragraph form (not bulleted list) and contain the following, in first
person past tense. You do not need to include a list of materials.
Kirby-Bauer plate: This should be a step by step description of how you performed your Kirby
Bauer test, including which bacteria you tested, your inoculation technique, your antibiotic
distribution technique, and what each of the antibiotics were. (5 pts)
Data analysis: You should describe how you analyzed the results the week after you put them in
the incubator (i.e.., determined sensitivity of bacteria to the various substances). (10 pts.)
Results: should be in paragraph form and include any pictures you took
What were the measurements of the zones of inhibition for each antibiotic? (10 pts)
How susceptible was the bacteria to each antibiotic/cleaner? (10 pts) Hint: this should be
written: “The bacteria was susceptible to…..” “The bacteria was resistant to…” etc.
Discussion:
Based on observations, draw your conclusions – which antibiotics were the bacteria most
susceptible to? Which was it most resistant to? (10 pts)
For the most effective antibiotics: what is the mode of action of these antibiotics? In other
words, what mechanism does it use to kill the bacteria? (5 pts)
Explain how the results of your experiment can be used by the general public or in hospitals or
physicians’ offices for prevention/control, diagnosis, or treatment of infectious disease – this
might require you looking up what diseases are caused by your microbe. (5 pts)
Literature cited:
You must cite any literature (in APA format) that you used for information (including the lab
manual or web sources), even if you put the info in your own words.
