Microbiology Unkown

Try using the google image search

Ask your teacher!!!!!!!!

Remember, you pay their salary. They want you to understand it. If they do not know you are having difficulty, they can't help. Ask.

When I was in Micro last year I did a google search using the terms "microbiology", "unknown chart" and found several links like this that were helpful. However, your prof. should have provided a list of possible unknowns that your class is utilizing. Be aware that any chart you pull on the internet may not feature the same unknowns, so I would screen for one that matches up closely so you don't exclude any possibilities.

Good luck, and remember, re-test if you suspect any contamination. http://csm.colostate-pueblo.edu/biology/dcaprio/301L/unknownchart.html

Also, if you truly cannot distinguish the sample shape from rod or cocci, you may want to bring in your prof to get you that far, perhaps the sample is extraordinarily odd or deteriorated.

The final grade for my micro lab was based upon identifying two unknowns in the same culture. You may have accidentally contaminated your culture even if you only have one unknown. If you haven't isolated specific colonies you may benefit from doing that first.

Mycobacterium require a specific medium to grow and is too obvious so you can rule that out immediately. (It's green if I remember correctly)

Of course, I have to second the recommendation to talk with the instructor.

There's a good site called gideononline.com. You have to register and you get a 15 day free trial. I used it to ID my mirco unknown this semester.

Did you try looking at in under oil? That would increase the mag. That, or I'd restreak it onto a BHI agar (or some agar that has more nutrient than the regular nutrient agars). That would let your colony grow and hopefully increase the size of the cells.

Head for MacConkey if you have it. That will help tell you if you have a member of the Enterbacteriacea or not.

It sounds like you have a facultative anaerobe/aerobe, it can grow in the presence of O2 or not. But, since yours had some much growth on top, yours really likes the O2.

Most of the unknowns are facultative aerobes. Strict aerobes or anaerobes would be too dang easy to ID.

"It sounds like you have a facultative anaerobe/aerobe, it can grow in the presence of O2 or not. But, since yours had some much growth on top, yours really likes the O2. "

Actually ronfam, I think you misread the original post. The person has a strict anaerob organism, as there is NO growth near the top of the tube. It may be possible the sample is contaminated, and may contain more than 1 type of organism. Check the motility, and try and have another look-see under an oil-immersion objective to see if you can get a better view and see if they are rods or cocci.

"It sounds like you have a facultative anaerobe/aerobe, it can grow in the presence of O2 or not. But, since yours had some much growth on top, yours really likes the O2. "

Actually there was no growth at all on top.

I still think its a faculative aneorobe though, we aren't allowed to ask the teachers for instruction at all. I did however talk to the lab director and showed her my picture of my test and explained what I thought and she said put it in the report. so hopefully just explaining what I do know and showing I know what its suposed to be or can't be will get me by.

Sounds like I've been lucky with my Unknown project. The teacher gave us a list of 16 possible organisms that we could have and used the chart right out of our lab book. She also goes by the philosophy of "the bugs don't read the book" and is more interested in the process of how we came to our conclusion rather than the conclusion itself. I turned my report in yesterday so hopefully she sticks to her word.

Sounds like I've been lucky with my Unknown project. The teacher gave us a list of 16 possible organisms that we could have and used the chart right out of our lab book. She also goes by the philosophy of "the bugs don't read the book" and is more interested in the process of how we came to our conclusion rather than the conclusion itself. I turned my report in yesterday so hopefully she sticks to her word.

They really did make it easy for you. Our actual determination of what the unknown is, is only worth 15pts. However it is fun trying to figure out and research the stuff, its getting the tests mixed up not so fun. Its nearly over now though 2 more weeks to figure it out and write the paper (the scary part).