Microbiology Instruments / Techniques: Course Code RLT-623

1. Selection, Maintenance, and ordering of equipment
2. Laboratory plastic ware

•  Cleaning of plastic ware

3. Equipment for staining

•  Stain and reagent dispensing containers
•  Staining jars or racks and troughs
•  Trough with rods
•  Draining rack

4. Stills, Water filters and deionizers

5. Centrifuges

•  Centrifugal force
•  Type of centrifuge rotor
•  Choosing of centrifuge
•  Type of centrifuge

6. Incubators and hot air ovens
7. Water baths
8. Mixer and rotators

•  Cell mixer
•  Vortex mixer
•  Magnetic stirrers

9. pH meter

1.  Measuring of pH
2.  Type of pH meter
3.  Care and maintenance of pH meter

10. Lab racks

11. Microscope

1.  Parts of A Microscope
2.  Types of Microscope. Classification and Their Uses.
3.  Nature of Light, Concepts of Amplitude, Wavelength And Phase
4.  Perception of Color and Brightness. Formation of Images
5.  Type of Objectives
6.  Objective Magnification, Focal Length, Tube Length, Resolution, Numerical Aperture Etc. Calculation of The Resolution and Magnification
7.  Care and Cleaning of the Microscope

12. Autoclave

•  Types
•  Simple laboratory autoclave
•  maintenance and care of autoclave
•  Checking of efficacy of autoclave

13. Sterilization and disinfection
14. Safety cabinets
15. Automation in Microbiology
16. Biochemical identification
17. Identification of Gram Positive Bacteria
18. Identification of Gram Positive Bacteria

Practicals:

1.  Specimen collections, labeling and handlings
2.  Microbiology laboratory hazards and precautions
3.  Urine examination and culture
4.  Stool examination and culture
5.  Blood film for haemoparasite and culture
6.  Semen examinations
7.  Staining in mycology
8.  Culture media used for fungus
9.  Fungal culture
10.  Methods of lab diagnosis of viral diseases

The most commonly used equipment is inoculation needles, transfer loops, inoculation, Bunsen burner, autoclave (or pressure cooker) incubators, hot air oven centrifuge, spectrophotometer magnetic stirrer electric shaker and rotary shaker heating plate, heating mantle distillation plant, UV-lamp carbon dioxide cylinder, water-bath and a single-pan balance that has weights (for general use) chemical balance, fine analytical balance pH meters, Quebec colony counter, Laminar air flow, camera lucida electrophoresis and a high-quality microscope and many more. To perform photomicrography, a photomicrographic camera mounted in a microscope equipped with every accessory is essential in the microbiology lab.