Normal Flora Project Full Laboratory Report

Assignment:

You will be using the results from the Normal Flora project to individually write a full lab report describing your significant results. You can choose either the Staphylococcus or Streptococcus results to write about. It is due Wednesday December 8, 2020

Format:

Times New Roman 12 point font; 1” margins; double spaced; 5 page maximum not including tables and figures (if applicable).

Contents:

Title: The title should be descriptive of what the project was all about. Remember—the title should be in all caps!
Introduction: Using the Photographic Atlas for the Microbiology Laboratory, your lecture textbook, and the handouts provided as a reference, provide some background information on the Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Include some of their general characteristics, such as Gram staining, cellular morphology, etc. How are Staphylococcus and Streptococcus distinguished (i.e. which tests are used to tell them apart)? Next, focus on the particular genus you chose (either Staphylococcus or Streptococcus). Where in the body can these organisms be found? What is their relationship to human health? [1/2 – 1 page]
Materials and Methods: Use the procedure in the appropriate assignment to help you write the methods. ONLY include the tests that you plan to present in the Results section. The materials used for the procedure should be included in the text, and not presented separately or in list form. Procedures should be written in paragraph form—not as bullet points or step-by-step instructions. Common procedures (i.e. aseptic technique, heat-fixing) should be referenced, but not explained in detail. Information such as incubation time and temperature and total magnification when viewed under the microscope are important to include. [1/2 page or less]
Results: Your results section should include a narrative about and a table including the important results that led you to discover the species of your unknown Staph or Strep. This might include a distinct colony morphology on selective/differential media and results of specific tests. You DO NOT need to include ALL of the results. Refer to the flow charts on Canvas for help determining which tests are important for your unknown. The table should be properly formatted and have a descriptive title. Also, the results section should be more than just a table–make sure you summarize your results in the narrative and refer back to the table. Your final statement should be the species you identified. [About 1 page]
Discussion: The discussion should talk about the significance of your results. What does the identification of this particular unknown mean? Is it typically normal flora or could it be a pathogen? For pathogens, did your tests reveal any virulence factors? In what part of the body is this species normally found? If you chose Streptococcus, what “group” of Strep is it? What are the health implications of finding this species on a human? Finally, what test(s) could be performed to definitively identify the unknown? The tests that have been performed on these unknowns lead to a “presumptive” identification of the species through their combinations of unique phenotypes. Look in Chapter 17 of your lecture textbook to find potential methods of identifying your unknown that are more definitive than the phenotypic methods used in the results section of this paper. Briefly explain how this method works and why it is considered a definitive test. [About 1 page]
Works Cited: There are 2 required citations for this paper: your Atlas book and the lecture textbook. If you use any other sources, make sure to cite them appropriately. We use the Name, Year citation format from A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology by Karin Knisely. Here is another resource for the Name, Year citation format (Name-Year Citation Resource at UW-Madison).

*Example of book in Name-Year format:
Carson R. 1962. Silent spring. Boston (MA): Houghton Mifflin

Rubric
Normal Flora Mini Lab Report
Normal Flora Mini Lab Report
Criteria Ratings Pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Format
*Times New Roman
*12 point font
*1” margins
*Double spaced
*2 page max.
*Headings centered

1.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Title
*All caps
*Descriptive

1.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Introduction
*Normal flora general characteristics
*Test to distinguish Staph and Strep
*Health significance of Staph or Strep

10.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Materials and Methods
*Only includes methods that correspond to results
*Incubation time and temperature included
*Not too much detail

7.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Results
*Table with pertinent results
*Table formatted properly
*Descriptive table title
*Text describing results
*Species identified

14.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Discussion
*Significance of species
*Normal flora or pathogen
*Virulence factors (if applicable)
*Body location
*Group of Strep (if applicable)
*Health implications
*Definitive test with explanation

14.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Works Cited
*Atlas book citation
*Textbook citation
*Name, Year format
*In-text citations (if applicable)

3.0 pts

Total Points: 50.0
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