Kitchen Lab

Module 2: Portfolio Activity

Description: The following images show petri dishes with microbial life growing in them. Using simple ingredients, I cultured bacteria from the air and my phone watched them grow over a number of days. From what grew, I identified them as best I could using knowledge from readings and from scientific articles. The purpose of this activity is to relate the material learned through the specified readings and week lectures.

October 6, 2020 (Beginning)

Various Phone Microbes growing in a petri dish

Air Microbe growing in a petri dish

October 11,2020 (Middle)

Various Phone Microbes growing in a petri dish

Air Microbe growing in a petri dish

October 14,2020 (End)

Various Phone Microbes growing in a petri dish

Air Microbe growing in a petri dish

Cell Morphology

Phone Bacteria

Staphylococcus aureus:
- Gram-positive, round-shaped bacterium (cocci shape)
Staphylococcus epidermidis:
- Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic bacterium (cocci)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa:
- encapsulated, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium (bacilli)
Neisseria sicca:
- It is Gram-negative and oxidase-positive (commensal)
Micrococcus luteus:
- Gram-positive, to Gram-variable, nonmotile, coccus, tetrad-arranging, pigmented, saprotrophic bacterium (cocci)
Proteus mirabilis
- Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium (bacillus)
Bacillus subtilis
- Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium (Bacillus)
Enterobacter aerogenes
- A pathogenic, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria (Bacillus)

Air Bacteria

Coagulase-negative Staphylococci
- a type of staph bacteria (cocci) -
Micrococcus species
- Various species were found (cocci)
Viridans Streptococci
- A large group of commensal streptococcal Gram-positive bacteria species (cocci)
Gram-negative bacilli
- Bacilli shaped bacteria that are gram-negative
Diphtheroids
- Aerobic, non-sporulating, pleomorphic Gram-positive bacilli
Bacillus species
- Various species were found (bacillus)
Streptomyces species
- Gram-positive bacteria
- Various species were found (filamentous)

Results/Research

Phone Microbes

Shapes: Cocci, Bacillus, commensal
Who they infect?:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa:
  - Can cause disease in plants, animals, and humans
- Neisseria sicca:
  - Some strains are known to cause septicaemia in immunocompromised patients
  - meningitis, endocarditis, or bacteremia (1,2)
- Enterobacter aerogenes:
  - A nosocomial and pathogenic bacterium that causes opportunistic infections
Are they harmful or helpful?:
- For the most part they are all harmful
Symptoms?:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa:
  - Pain, redness, itching, etc.
- Neisseria sicca:
  - fever, bleeding, chills, etc.
- Enterobacter aerogenes:
  - UTI, eye and skin infections, etc.
Treatment?:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa:
  - Antibiotics, but many have become antibiotic resistant
- Neisseria sicca:
  - Antibiotics, sometimes surgery, cephalosporins, Claforan (cefotaxime), and Rocephin (ceftriaxone).
- Enterobacter aerogenes:
  - Antimicrobials most commonly used include infections include carbapenems, fourth-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and TMP-SMZ

Air Microbes

Shapes: Cocci, Bacillus, Filamentous
Who they infect?:
- Coagulase-negative Staphylococci:
  - Humans
Are they harmful or helpful?:
- Typically harmless when it remains outside the body
- The bacteria can cause infections when present in large amounts, or when present in the bloodstream
Symptoms?:
- Fast heart rate, fever, confusion, pain, etc.
Treatment?:
- Vancomycin is generally used as treatment

Sources: