/-/https/www.sciencebuddies.org/cdn/Files/21464/5/sb-logo.png){kind=logo}
/-/https/www.sciencebuddies.org/cdn/Files/21464/5/sb-logo.png){kind=logo}
Is there any method to identify different type of bacteria on an agar plate. ( The plate will have various bacteria on it )
thank you very much
identifying bacteria ?
Moderators: AmyCowen, kgudger, MadelineB, Moderators
-
deleted-117299
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:48 pm
- Occupation: "Student: 11th grade"
- Project Question: "Pseudomonas's antibiotic resistant on market antibiotic and herbal antibiotic"
- Project Due Date: 1/10/13
- Project Status: I am conducting my research
-
deleted-132180
- Former Expert
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:27 pm
- Occupation: Graduate Student
- Project Question: I am volunteering for the "Ask an Expert" program.
- Project Due Date: I am volunteering for the "Ask an Expert" program.
- Project Status: Not applicable
Re: identifying bacteria ?
Hello there,
Where is the source of bacteria from which you are going to plate onto the agar? In any case, yes, there are methods to identify different types of bacteria on an agar plate, but it is not necessarily a trivial process. Some bacteria form colonies of very distinct colors and morphologies, but even with that, it is hard to make a call on what species it is confidently (if you don't know what the original composition of bacteria in your source is). If you want to clearly identify the species of bacteria on your plate, there are various biochemical and molecular assays you can try. You first have to make sure that you have single, isolated colonies that you can sample from and test to prevent any mixture of different species. You can first do very simple assays, such as doing a Gram stain to see whether your bacteria are Gram negative or Gram positive. If you want to clearly identify the species, you will likely have to sequence the bacterium, or at least its 16S rRNA sequence, to find out what it is.
Here is a guide to bacterial identification that I had found: http://www.nslc.wustl.edu/elgin/genomic ... eria06.pdf.
Hope this helps! Let us know if you have anymore questions.
Connie
Where is the source of bacteria from which you are going to plate onto the agar? In any case, yes, there are methods to identify different types of bacteria on an agar plate, but it is not necessarily a trivial process. Some bacteria form colonies of very distinct colors and morphologies, but even with that, it is hard to make a call on what species it is confidently (if you don't know what the original composition of bacteria in your source is). If you want to clearly identify the species of bacteria on your plate, there are various biochemical and molecular assays you can try. You first have to make sure that you have single, isolated colonies that you can sample from and test to prevent any mixture of different species. You can first do very simple assays, such as doing a Gram stain to see whether your bacteria are Gram negative or Gram positive. If you want to clearly identify the species, you will likely have to sequence the bacterium, or at least its 16S rRNA sequence, to find out what it is.
Here is a guide to bacterial identification that I had found: http://www.nslc.wustl.edu/elgin/genomic ... eria06.pdf.
Hope this helps! Let us know if you have anymore questions.
Connie