Microbiology Lab Manual

Microbiology is the study of unicellular, multicellular, and/or acellular microorganisms. Ever since Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first set eyes on the microbial world, that world and the knowledge of that world has expanded, in part thanks to other famous names in microbiology. Pasteur, Jenner, Koch, to name a few, have led us into present day microbiology. Current studies link this microbial world to all sorts of diseases that have afflicted humankind and all other life on our planet. While that may seem pessimistic, the microbial world offers a whole host of wonderful and beneficial aspects as well. Many serve as part of our own microbiota and that microbiota has been linked to multiple aspects of human health. The laboratory manual will take the student into this world, allowing them to view and examine some of the very organisms Leeuwenhoek and others observed. 

Throughout Microbiology Lab Manual by John Mersfelder, PhD, students will explore the microbial world using a whole host of classical and modern techniques implemented in health care, food industry practices, and biological research. This text allows students to:

• Practice fundamental skills associated with microbiology laboratories.
• Develop the skill of microscope use associated with various staining techniques.
• Learn about and implement the use of selective and differential media and tests.
• Investigate the use of tests associated with human health care, focusing on the oral microbiome.
• In a comprehensive manner, work to identify a bacterial unknown based on techniques investigated within the laboratory. 

Microbiology Lab Manual is designed with science majors and nursing majors in mind. The manual offers general and applied microbial techniques and helps serve as an educational pillar for those students who are following health care fields like medicine, dentistry, nursing, and biological research.