Unknown reports in microbiology adhere to the scientific format, which distinguishes it from other forms of writing. The primary focus is on presenting the exercise or experiment’s outcomes, rather than the manner of writing itself. Informing, not entertaining, is the chief objective of scientific writing, necessitating a clear and reader-friendly style. Consequently, adhering to a specific style becomes imperative when composing scientific reports. Furthermore, scientific writing predominantly employs the passive voice and avoids personal pronouns like “I,” “We,” and “They.”
For instance, instead of stating “l used a TTS agar plate o isolate my unknown,” it is normal to state “A triplicate soy agar (TTS) plate was used to isolate the unknown.” It is also customary to use past tense in most of the report, including the introduction, summary, description of materials and methods, and results. The present tense is only used when drawing conclusions about the results. Refer to the given examples. Additionally, it is important to adhere to certain general rules such as correct spelling and writing of microbial nomenclature for the bacterium’s name.
The name should be in italics or underlined. Italicized format is recommended, such as Staphylococcus erasures. The capitalized form is used for the genus, while the species is not capitalized. In the paper, the full genus name can be abbreviated as S. erasures, while still being italicized. This is acceptable if no other genera in the paper begin with the same letter. This section provides the study’s specific information, including the specimen’s origin and the methods employed for identification.
When providing details, avoid duplicating the lab manual. One approach is to identify the materials used and refer to the lab manual for the procedure or method, and then provide additional explanation when needed. For instance, an unlabeled sample called G was distributed by the lab instructor. To identify this unknown, the techniques learned for identifying bacteria in the course were employed. The instructions from De Mere’s laboratory manual (1) were followed unless specified otherwise.
The initial step involved streaking the unknown on a Triplicate Soy Agar plate, using the T streak method stated in the lab manual. This was essential to assess the purity of the unknown. Once the plates were incubated and grown, the morphology was observed and recorded, and a Gram stain was conducted. Quality control bacteria were also Gram stained alongside the unknown to ensure accurate Gram stain results. Following the determination of the Gram reaction, specific biochemical tests were executed.
The biochemical tests used for identifying the unknown organism were selected from the lab manual’s identification tables. Since unknown G was determined to be a Gram negative rod, an oxidase test was conducted, followed by inoculation into a BCC lactose tube. All of these tests were carried out according to the methods provided in the lab manual by De (1) T blew 1. The following tests and their results were performed on this unknown organism:
- Oxidase test
- BCC Lactose
- Indolent
- HAS
- Citrate
- Motility
- Methyl Red
- Urea” TTS and results
All to the tolling tests Another way is to write out the methods in detail in either a paragraph form or listed. This way is not necessary for this type of paper, since this is lab report for the identification of an unknown bacterium and the methods are explained in detail in the lab manual. If there is a procedure that the instructor added or made changes to, or the student used another procedure not in the course lab manual, then it should be written out and referenced. See some of the examples of
