Culturing and Aseptic Technique
Lab 3: Culturing and Aseptic Technique (100 points)
Student Name:
Student ID:
Course ID: BIOL202
-Each question on the lab worksheet must be answered completely, thoroughly, in complete
sentences and correctly in order to be considered for full credit
-If the question asks you to do research or find a source, a reputable, credible and/or scholarly
source citation must be included in order to be considered for full credit
-If a math formula is required to arrive to an answer, work must be shown otherwise, no credit will
be awarded
Pre-Lab Questions
1. Proper aseptic technique is crucial to ensuring growth of pure bacterial colonies. What is
the experimental way you can test your practices to confirm that you are using proper
aseptic technique? (5 points) There are multiple experimental ways a person can test their
practices to confirm that they are using proper aseptic technique. One way is to plate
multiple samples of the same bacteria to determine which plates showed the most
successful growth. This will determine if proper aseptic technique is being utilized.
2. In a laboratory setting, what are three ways you can properly sterilize culturing equipment?
(5 points). In a laboratory setting, three ways to properly sterilize culturing equipment is
by autoclaving (applying wet heat), baking (applying dry heat), and using
chemicals/solvents, such as hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen dioxide.
3. For each inoculation tool, give one scenario in which use of that tool would be appropriate.
(5 points) One inoculation tool is the inoculation loops and are used to transfer microbes
from one plate to another. Sterile cotton swabs are used to take samples directly from a
surface and are the most common tools used when beginning a culture plate. Inoculation
needles are used to collect microbes from a specific region of a culture, then transferred
to another location. Sterile plate spreaders are used to inoculate plates to create a
bacterial lawn.
, Culturing and Aseptic Technique
Experiment 1 Results Tables
Table 1: Experiment 1 Colony Growth (15 points)
Growth
Plate Number Source
(color, amount, shape, etc.)
Bottom of kids shoes White, filamentous, irregular shape,
1
multiple large colonies
Dry erase marker Circular, white, some small colonies
2
Front door handle Flat, yellow, some small colonies
3
Negative control White, circular in shape, a few small
4 colonies
Airborne Control Gray, multiple colonies
5
Lab 3: Culturing and Aseptic Technique (100 points)
Student Name:
Student ID:
Course ID: BIOL202
-Each question on the lab worksheet must be answered completely, thoroughly, in complete
sentences and correctly in order to be considered for full credit
-If the question asks you to do research or find a source, a reputable, credible and/or scholarly
source citation must be included in order to be considered for full credit
-If a math formula is required to arrive to an answer, work must be shown otherwise, no credit will
be awarded
Pre-Lab Questions
1. Proper aseptic technique is crucial to ensuring growth of pure bacterial colonies. What is
the experimental way you can test your practices to confirm that you are using proper
aseptic technique? (5 points) There are multiple experimental ways a person can test their
practices to confirm that they are using proper aseptic technique. One way is to plate
multiple samples of the same bacteria to determine which plates showed the most
successful growth. This will determine if proper aseptic technique is being utilized.
2. In a laboratory setting, what are three ways you can properly sterilize culturing equipment?
(5 points). In a laboratory setting, three ways to properly sterilize culturing equipment is
by autoclaving (applying wet heat), baking (applying dry heat), and using
chemicals/solvents, such as hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen dioxide.
3. For each inoculation tool, give one scenario in which use of that tool would be appropriate.
(5 points) One inoculation tool is the inoculation loops and are used to transfer microbes
from one plate to another. Sterile cotton swabs are used to take samples directly from a
surface and are the most common tools used when beginning a culture plate. Inoculation
needles are used to collect microbes from a specific region of a culture, then transferred
to another location. Sterile plate spreaders are used to inoculate plates to create a
bacterial lawn.
, Culturing and Aseptic Technique
Experiment 1 Results Tables
Table 1: Experiment 1 Colony Growth (15 points)
Growth
Plate Number Source
(color, amount, shape, etc.)
Bottom of kids shoes White, filamentous, irregular shape,
1
multiple large colonies
Dry erase marker Circular, white, some small colonies
2
Front door handle Flat, yellow, some small colonies
3
Negative control White, circular in shape, a few small
4 colonies
Airborne Control Gray, multiple colonies
5
