Resources for bacteria lab test results?

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I am taking micro online. I took it in person years ago, but due to time limits have to retake it. Every single lab I have done I find myself spending hours and hours and hours ready to pull out my hair trying to figure out what the result of the lab is supposed to be. The lab manual does not tell you and neither does the text book. Is there some reference book or website for identifying norms for bacteria - example catalase + or -, motile or nonmotile, ferments glucose or not? I have seen flow charts for identifying unknown bacteria, but that isn't really helping. I know what the bacteria is (well is supposed to be) and I just need to confirm whether my lab results are accurate or not. Any help in pointing me in the right direction would be immensely appreciated.

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Something like Bergey's? Our school library had a copy of Bergey's manual that we used to help figure out bacteria.

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Yeah, I was going to suggest Bergey's manual too. You can find it at a school library or maybe even the public library. It's in different volumes but a librarian should be able to help you figure out which one you need. Then you just go to the section for your bacteria and it'll have information about morphology, metabolic tests, colony shape, color, etc.

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I would suggest looking at a gram positive or gram negative (depending on your gram stain result) dichotomous key. It will go through your multiple test, such as your catalase, to give you the most accurate result. Bergey's manual helps too for more detail

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Thank you all for your responses. I will need to see if I can find this at the local library as I am taking all of my classes online right now. I saw the Bergey's manual in my searches, but too pricey a book for me to purchase with only a few weeks left in this class.

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Oh wait, I think I found it! Online http://www.archive.org/stream/bergeysmanualofd1957amer#page/n5/mode/2up

I downloaded the epub version to my computer too so now I can search it! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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