Book: Use graph-lined, sewn composition notebooks (10″ x 7 7/8 “) so that you make a permanent record of your experiments and results. (Avoid glued books.)
1) Title the inside front cover LAB SCHEDULE. Number the facing page i, and title HANDOUT TABLE OF CONTENTS.
2) Mount the HANDOUTS (LAB SCHEDULE and HANDOUT TABLE OF CONTENTS) as shown. As each protocol is mounted in your notebook, enter its page number on the line provided to the left of its listing. It will look like this after you have referenced the handout pages. (Ready to turn in notebook for grading)
3) Number the next two pages ii, iii and iv. (for Micro, add iv, v and vi.) Title them MY TABLE OF CONTENTS I, II and III. You will mount your own table of contents here later.
4) Then number every right hand page at the top right with odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, etc.
5) If your handout packet contains a Slide List, title page 1 “LIST OF SLIDES.” Mount the list on this page. Label page 2 NOTEBOOK PROCEDURES. Mount those protocols on these pages.
6) Title the inside of the back cover “MY GRADESLIPS“. Mount sequential grade slips here. Title the facing page “NEW WORDSTEMS.” Earn two points by keeping a running table of wordstems given in lecture or lab, but which are not on the handout sheet and typing them up before NB grading.
7) Draw guide lines at lines 1, 3, 6 and 9 along the edge of your closed book.
8) Date each page in the upper left hand corner as soon as you begin an entry on that given page.
9) Title each page IN CAPITALS with a specific focused title between lines 1 & 3.
10) Begin the entries below line 9. Enter all data directly into the lab book. Here is a sample showing date, title, page, cross ref and entries below line 9.
11) Use a fresh page for each experiment . Neatness is of secondary importance, but leave adequate space for ease of future use. Do not tear out any pages.
12) Cross reference pages of related material on line 6 (three spaces below the title). Give the nature of the cross reference: protocol, data, graph, illustration, conclusion, etc. You may cross reference the location of illustrations to the right of the features listed in the protocol.
13) Permanently mount ALL handouts with clear contact paper. Keep intact if at all possible. Mount sequential grade slips inside back cover.
14) Use any excuse for an illustration, since it displays information or data in a manner comprehensible at a glance. (See Notebook Illustrations.) Prevent ink from bleeding through by placing illustrations on the R page, and handouts on the L (or vice versa).
15) For dissections, illustrate: 1) cuts made, 2) spatial & functional relations of organs.
16) For microscopic specimens, illustrate characteristic views to fill at least half a page. Clearly resolve all details observed with labels for all features mentioned in the protocol and/or in Lab. The illustration title goes above, magnification of the view at the lower right. The legend is below, indicating the source, treatment and staining procedure used. Do not hesitate to draw a second illustration to expand on the first.
17) For each new piece of apparatus: illustrate, label and explain all functional features.
18) Color may be added after illustrating with black pen. Use of appropriate color in illustrations can make them more meaningful as well as attractive.
19) Title your graphs precisely, cross reference, label coordinates, note significant phases, especially according to time. Give conditions under which experiment was performed. Show all effects observed, especially according to time or changing conditions. Here is a sample graph.
20) Indent protocols or recipes, leaving space above and below for clarity. Note in detail any changes made in the protocol, difficulties encountered, or future cautions.
21) Draw conclusions, noting the value of the exercise, and, if appropriate, making suggestions for improvement of the experiment. Include in your conclusions not only the “processed” data, but points which could be examined more closely in future experiments and questions which may have arisen as a result of the experiment. For an extra three points, type out your suggestions on a single page, cross reference them to the page of the experiment, and mount them in your notebook.
Compare these instructions with the Sample Notebook Grade Sheets which you have received. Note that points are awarded according to the completeness with which you have followed these instructions. Early effort applied to learning correct notebook procedure will pay dividends when your notebook is graded. (Lab work, as evidenced by your notebook comprises between 25 and 40% of your grade, depending on the course.)
Here are pdfs for lecture notes and lab protocols (please do not reproduce without written permission): LECTURE NOTES: Here is a directory of informal lecture notes for my course. Please read the paragraph below.** LABORATORY PROTOCOLS AND HANDOUTS: a directory of lab handouts.
BELOW ARE ILLUSTRATED PAGES FOR THE HANDOUTS CREATED FOR THIS COURSE.
PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION.
The following protocols have been written by David Fankhauser for his Microbiology Course at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College.
They should not be reproduced without his express written permission. Thank you.
LINKS: Questions about microbes? Here is a rich resource page of information about microbes at microbes.info
**Here is a directory containing some of my lecture notes in *.pdf form. Note that they are outline form, and informal. If you see errors in them please let me know. Even with these notes printed out, I urge students to take their own detailed notes in class for several reasons. First, the act of writing is very important in creating a long term memory in your brain. Second, my lecture notes are only guidelines for my lectures. My students soon recognize that I often go on a tangent which may not be in my prepared notes. Third, when you review your own handwritten notes, you will see areas which are not clear, and provide you an opportunity to clarify the question at the beginning of the next class.
My love of popcorn goes way back to my earliest childhood when my mother would make great bowls full on a weekend night when we lived in a garage… We owe a debt of gratitude to native Americans for this marvelous technological advance they made. I believe popcorn is one of the wonder foods for the following reasons:
The Wonders of Popcorn
It is a whole grain, easily grown in substantial quantities.
It contains the roughage often removed from processed grains. It also contains the same rich protein (though low in lysine, see “complimentary protein”), B complex vitamins and vitamin E of all whole grains.
It is a live food, and sustains itself quite well for long storage periods.
It has a very long storage period which makes it perfect for those who want to have a long-term well stocked pantry, or who are survivalists, or are awaiting the collapse of civilization…
It is embarrassingly inexpensive, especially when bought in bulk (I typically buy a 40 pound bag at a time). I immediately house it in large air-tight containers such as gallon milk jugs, etc. Air-tight is extremely important so that the kernels do not lose moisture and therefore popping ability.
It is DELICIOUS as well as nutritious.
And now, it is SO easy to whip up a bowlful in five minute any or every evening you desire.
Problems with Commercial Microwave Popcorn Commercial microwave popcorn may be convenient, but you probably know the problems with it:
It contains LARGE amounts of hydrogenated fats. You have noticed the thick grease after you eat a bag… (Look it up if you don’t know the problem with hydrogenated oils.)
It contains artificial flavoring (notably diacetyl: so-called “butter-flavor… This is associated with popcorn workers lung disease) and artificial colors.
It contains much more salt than one might desire (200-355 mg/bag), and you cannot control the quantity.
It costs three to four times what it would cost if you made your own as below. (How much more DOES it cost? I haven’t bought it for so long, I have no idea.)
It generates waste in the form of an oily heavy bag which remains after you have made it.
I am delighted to have devised the following “appropriate technology” for making microwave popcorn at home and believe that many will find it useful. What do you think?
Directions
Prepare a number 10 or 12 bag bag: Fold over the top about 1 inch wide folds twice, Place 4 inch piece of masking tap with the last 1/2 inch folded over on itself (for a handle) on the second fold (to serve as a closure). (I do not use staples because of possible sparks/fire, and the staples damage the bag, making it less re-useable.)
Measure out 1/3rd cup unpopped corn. It is convenient, if you store your unpopped corn in a Mason jar, to use the lid as a measurer which equals close to 1/3rd cup.
Pour the corn into the bag.
Fold over the double fold, and press down the masking tape to secure.
Lie the prepared bag in the microwave. Shake the bag to evenly distribute the corn in a monolayer to ensure even heating.
Set your microwave to the proper time at the highest setting. This will take a trial or two. Set tie time, for instance, for 5 minutes and start it. Listen for when the popping is less than one per second or so. Record the time and use that for your standard timing. NOTE: The higher the wattage, the more effective the popping efficiency. I far prefer a 1500 watt microwave, but they are VERY difficult to find…
Prepare your oil dispenser: Drill a tiny hole in the lid of a dry clean 16 ounce water bottle. Fill about half full with vegetable oil (we use canola, but some have criticized us for using canola…
After the popping has ceased to less than a pop per second, remove the filled bag from the microwave.
Pour the popped corn into a wide large (gallon-sized) bowl
Apply the oil by squirting as you turn the bowl and toss the corn to evenly coat the popped corn.
Apply your desired seasoning. (Someday, I will patent my seasoning which my students have loved for years…)
Serve up the corn in 12-16 ounce cups. The whole process takes less than five minutes. YUM!
Robert Koch is famous for being the first scientist to conclusively identify the etiological agent of any disease (anthrax in this instance). He established a set of criteria which must be satisfied in order to do this, called “Koch’s Postulates.” They are:
1) All diseased animals must display the putative pathogen.
2) The putative pathogen must be isolated in pure culture.
3) The pure culture, when inoculated into a healthy animal, must cause the disease.
4) The putative pathogen must be reisolated from the experimentally diseased animal.
The major challenge in these criteria is to isolate “the putative pathogen” (bacterium) in pure culture. Koch was familiar with the work of Joseph Schroeter, who observed that the surface of a potato slice would develop small colored raised circular spots when left open to the air. Koch reasoned that each of these raised spots must have arisen from a single contaminating cell. As it multiplied, the single cell produced a visible clone of identical cells (a colony) .
He realized that these colonies were pure cultures (clones) of bacteria because each arose from a single cell.
Fortuitously, Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, was able to grow on potato, and would yield a pure culture by which he was able to satisfy his postulates.
EQUIPMENT:
sterile petri dishes, one per two students
clean cutting board
sharp paring knife
Bunsen burner
tweezers in an EtOH beaker
37°C incubator
SUPPLIES:
95% ethanol in a deep beaker
cooked potatoes (not too soft)
Q tips
1) Pre experiment (understand the experiment and lay it out!):
a) Cross reference in your Notebook the protocol you are following.
b) Describe the specimen with which you are going to inoculate your potato.
c) Label your petri dish in small letters ar the edge of the plate:
i) your initials
ii) the date
iii) the specimen being tested.
2) Sterilize a paring knife by dipping into 95% EtOH, shake off the excess, then briefly flame to burn off the alcohol.
3) Slice a cooked potato about 1/4 inch thick and, using tweezers dipped to sterilize in EtOH and flamed to remove excess EtOH, place the slice on the bottom of a sterile petri dish.
4) Inoculate the surface of the potato with a sample of your choice: wipe a finger across it, lick it, swab the floor with a Q tip, sample your nose with a Q tip, (or pick your nose and wash afterwards…), or leave open to the air for several minutes, etc
Place in 37 C incubator
5) Cover the Petri dish and place in the 37°C incubator in your assigned spot according to your seat number.
6) Incubate for 48 hours, and examine the surface of the potato for any growth.
7) Describe the colonies which appear, and, time permitting, smear and stain to see their morphology. Illustrate what it looks like. Then, if you like, take a picture?
Additional images of incubated plates:
finger inoculation with lid
finger inoculation with lid, close
Bacteria from a finger growing on potato slice
Nose, Q tip swab plate
Nose, Q tip swab plate, close up Notice the excellent array of uniform, of well formed colonies.
Here are the results of an experiment at producing home made rennet.
Rennin is an enzyme which, in an acid environment, digests the water soluble milk protein casein into insoluble products. When these precipitate out of solution, the milk coagulates. The test is the famous “clean break” of cheese making.
Here, the abomasum of a suckling kid was cleaned, salted and dried. A small piece (0.75 gm) of it was suspended in warm water (30 C), and added to 1 gallon of inoculated milk. While a clean break was not achieved in three hours, by the evening (about 7 hours) the milk had formed a very firm coagulant.
This is my first attempt at using home made rennet. I am sure that the process and conditions can be improved. Let me know if you have suggestions.
See the bottom of the page for suggestions from Mr. Wolfgang Pachschwöll, of “Hundsbichler company Austria – producer of natural rennet.”
Here is a view of the abdominal contents of a suckling kid. The lungs and heart are in the lower left, the stomach is in the upper center (liver below) and the intenstines are to the right
Here the stomach has been dissected out of the abominal contents. The duodenum is the to left, the pyloric region and abomasum next (lower left), the reticulum the round structure to the upper center, and the rumen, the large darker chamber to the right.
Labeled view of Stomach
The stomach chambers have geen opened up to show their interior traits: abomasum: lower left. omasum: small, center (above and R of abomasum) reticulum: upper left rumen: right
Labeled view of four chambers of the ruminant stomach.
Here is the interior lining of the rumen, the major fermenting stomach of a ruminant animal. Note that there are thousands of villi which project in, dramatically increasing the surface area of the rumen.
Here is the reticulum (sold as a delicacy in Italy and other Latin countries) as tripe. It is used to make a delicious soup, for those who have the gumption to taste it…
This is a close up of the omasum (lower center). the reticulum is above, the abomasum is to the left, and a small portion of the rumen is to the right.
Trim off all of the stomach chambers to leave only the abomasum. Note the folds (plica) in its inner wall. (Note: Wolfgang Pachschwöll of Austria, (see below) says leave intact, do not wash (it removes enzymes), and blow up like a balloon to dry.)
Spread the abomasum out on a screen (stainless steel, in this case), and sprinkle salt to cover.
Rub the salt into the surface of the abomasum. Let it dry in a cool dry location.
The dried, salted abomasum is laid out, and 30 mL of 30 C water measured out. [Better to suspend in cold acidified whey. See below.]
Cut off a square of abomasum about 2 cm square. (About 1 gram)
Cut the piece of abomasum into small pieces, stir into the warm water. [Probably not necessary to cut up.]
Let the pieces of abomasum soak in cold acidified whey over night in the fridge. (For instance, use the whey left from making ricotta.)
Remove the pieces of soaked abomasum by pouring through a sieve.
Stir the extract of abomasum into inoculated, warmed milk (as in a basic cheese recipe.)
For the conditions described here, a clean break was acheived in only one hour!
Here are some points of expert advice on making rennet from Wolfgang Pachschwöll of “Hundsbichler company Austria – producer of natural rennet”, sent in response to my initial posting of this page. (Thank you very much Wolfgang!)
1) Do not thoroughly clean out the inside of the abomasum. The “slime” inside contains rennin. Therefore, also no washing nor squeezing.
2) Lightly salt the abomasum, store undried with 30% salt in a closed container to activate the enzyme over three months. (Pepsin, another stomach enzyme, is also secreted in the inactive form (pemsinogen), and activated by acid or enzymatic action.)
3) The traditional way to then dry the abomasum is to inflate it like a balloon and dry by hanging in a cool dark place.
4) Dissolving and activation of rennin occurs best in acid conditions at a cool temperature.