Lab Submission and Exam Information

Unknown Submission and Lab Details

  • Lab on Thursday will be delayed until noon.
  • Submit papers then, enjoying a break before the lecture.
  • Last day for in-person questions about your unknown. Visit the office.
  • Avoid the library due to overcrowding with students seeking Bergey's Manual.
  • Submit papers early for potentially more lenient grading.
  • All grades will be finalized before the exam.
  • Everything graded by Thursday of next week. Grading these assignments takes time.
  • Hard copy submission: flowchart and data sheet.
  • Complete all boxes on the data sheet except VP.
  • Data sheet is worth 30 points total.

Grade Submission

  • Grades submitted by Friday for program applications.
  • Aiming to have grades open on Friday to avoid issues from last semester.

Optional Review Session

  • Review session on Tuesday of next week, optional attendance.
  • Open to discussing any chapters covered up to Thursday's lecture on antimicrobial drugs.
  • Alternative: Discuss general science topics
  • If no one attends, the session will be canceled.

Exam

  • Exam will be written tonight to be fair and good.

Project Submission Details

  • Three hard copies:
    • Flowchart.
    • Data sheet.
    • Slow sheet.
  • Digital submission: The actual paper (1-3 pages).
  • Do not submit data sheet or flowchart digitally as they will be flagged for plagiarism.
  • Paper format: Explain the reasoning and process used to arrive at the answer.
  • Paragraphs are recommended for readability.
  • Paper length: Ideally one to three pages, with a four-page maximum.
  • Content beyond the fourth page will not be read.

Content of the Paper

  • Explain the gram reaction and its implications for your unknown.
  • The flowchart should serve as an outline for the paper.
  • The flowchart and paper should align; discrepancies indicate errors.
  • Flowchart demonstrates elimination of incorrect possibilities.

Grading Criteria for Project

  • 100% requires all 30 boxes filled in correctly on the data sheet.
  • Logical reasoning in the flowchart.
  • Paper: Logical explanation and correct conclusion.
  • Points deducted for incorrect species identification.

Example of Explanation

  • "I performed a Gram stain, determined I have Gram-negative rods, and therefore it cannot be any of the Gram-positive cocci or bacilli. I moved forward, looked at a phioglycolate media, determined I was facultatively anaerobic. So I know I belong to group five, and all other groups are not a possibility."
  • Explain what the gram reaction means

Additional Points

  • No procedure is required, only the interpretation of results is required.
  • False positives/negatives are generally not penalized heavily if guided towards a correction.
  • The average score on this project is usually in the high sixties out of 70 points.

Chemical Control

  • Transition from physical controls to chemical controls on microorganisms.
  • Chemicals are absorbed by microorganisms, causing degradation.