This whole week went as planned because I was right on schedule for sampling my objects around campus. Figure 1 below shows few places that was sampled in the Hannelly Center. The small side table tops attached to the chairs was sampled. The table below figure 1 shows the related colony forming units (CFU).
Figure 1. The red oval shaped areas are the general idea of where the sampling took place at.
Figure 2 and 3 below show the keyboard and mouse that was sampled in the library on the lower level of student resources for computer use.
Figure 2. The original sampling was on the "space bar" but the area was too small for the contact plates, so each plate was firmly pressed on half of the contact plate and the above picture shows the idea of how it was sampled.
Figure 3. Some mouse were sample twice and some where sample just once on the top with a rocking motion. If another plate was to be sampled on the same mouse, then half of it was sampled on the sides of the mouse.
The Bear Cave Cafeteria was, also, sampled around dinning area. Furthermore, the table tops were observed by myself of a cashier wiping down the tops with a rag. Thus, the colony plate count should be low, but I believe the microorganisms were just moved around.
I started this week off with a
great start. I have a good amount of contact plates with no problems of loss of
inventory. I prepared about six sleeves of 20 plates this week. Figure 1 below
shows the progress of perfect dome shaped above the rim of the plates being
prepared. I modified the dispensing of 17mL to 16mL because of the overflow and loss of plates.
Figure 1. The plates are being UV for further sterilization.
Figure 2. The numbers correspond to the table 1 below of total Colony Forming Units.
Plate #
Total CFU
Plate #
Total CFU
Plate #
Total CFU
Plate #
Total CFU
1
89
6
82
11
54
16
19
2
6
7
98
12
47
17
31
3
19
8
65
13
31
18
29
4
49
9
62
14
26
19
12
5
30
10
39
15
18
20
35
I, also, sampled the plates on two
locations around campus. The first location was room 221 of the DB building on
the second floor. Figure 2 above shows the area being monitored for fomites and
the corresponding plates to CFU’s. I noticed that as you move from the back to the front of the room the CFU's get smaller per plate.
I started to pour the
agar using a Multipipette Plus with a 50 mL syringe for a total volume of 17 mL
added to each empty contact plate. I did some research on the plates and found
there name to be known as RODAC (Replicate Organism Detection and
Counting) plates.
The supplying company recommended filling the plates on their website between
16.5-17.5 mL for proper convex surface to be achieved. The figure below shows
some of my flaws conducted Monday in the flow hood.
Figure 1. The spill was so quick and sensitive to touch that the cohesion of any surface quickly pulled it over the lip or ring around the top.
Figure 2. The plates were left in the hood for 10 minutes with the ultraviolet light on for proper sterilization.
The contact of the lid and
liquid caused multiple spillage and contamination. The first thing I need to
work on is conserving the empty plates by making no mistakes for contamination.
Thus, there will be no waste of agar and RODAC plate inventory. Furthermore, I need
to be more quick, efficient, and organized. I, also, noticed on Monday that the
plates need to cool without the lids. Dispensing the warm TSA liquid from the
pipette needs to be quick in regards to time because of the solidification of
the Multipipette syringe.
Figure 3. This shows the muffin top like shape of the solidified tops of these contact plates.
I
started my hours for the internship this week on Friday. On the other hand, I decided
to continue my project with an easier step of obtaining samples. I will prepare
my own agar for pouring into contact plates which will eliminate the hassle of
the “swabbing method.” The contact plates are miniature plates with a molded
grid on the bottom of this bulb like surface. I plan to prepare and pour
the agar after the thirty minute water bath from the autoclave. Figure 1 below shows three
empty contact plates and the Pipet used during the filling of these plates.
Figure 1. The bottom isn't flat like other plates, but it has like a bulb like surface. The Pipet is used for multiple dispensing of efficient volume because the maximum volume is 17 ml.
Figure 2. The agar is slightly above the rim of the plate for making contact with surfaces of objects.
Figure 2 shows the finished product of an elevated agar to make direct
contact with surfaces around campus. I was going to use the dispenser machine,
but the mentors noted that the dispenser is outdated. I look forward to next
week. I, also, took a picture of the dispensing machine below in Figure 3.
Figure 3. I always saw this machine but never new what it did until today.
Although I have no time to join the robotics club, I found a
cool article about a tiny robot as small as a quarter hovering the way actual
insects do. Weighing under 80mg, it is now being conducted to try some ways of
finding a power source light enough to hold. If the robot has artificial
material to mimic the wings and muscle of a real insect, then the invention of
micro robotics is in a near future in my opinion. I have linked the article
below and attached a video above for further reading
I finished a seven page report, and need to modify my final
presentation poster by tomorrow. Although the outlook looks excellent in my
favor, I hope to finish tonight and post it to Dropbox by tonight. The semester
looks good to the current grades I have been getting. The grades look like 5 “A’s”
and 2 “C’s.” the C’s come from my view as sacrificed courses until I get back
on schedule. I wanted to sample the cafeteria and library computers before I submitted
the poster, but it looks like I’m going to have to settle with what I got. There
hasn’t been much I did instead of preparing for the project paper and poster.
Since I haven’t identified any of the microorganisms in my
project, I have noticed that the colonies I’m counting can just be resident
flora of the hands. The men’s bathroom, for example, may have more of an
average CFU count to the women’s bathroom, but the colonies observed can just
be resident flora microbes. I haven’t identified if the colonies observed were
coliforms/enteric bacteria that are picked up and spread around the campus.
Staphylococcus species like S. epidermis live on our skin. Even though you wash
your hands, the amount of epidermis will never completely come off. Scrubbing with
a brush will just spread them all over your fingers and palms. The only removal
of bacteria is transient bacteria. Transient bacteria are the microbes picked
up in the bathroom or other places of contact. Thus, I should in my modified
project identify the microbes being sampled.
The project gave me insight that microorganisms are
everywhere, and the hands are the main transmission of contacting a disease
causing bacteria. The individual with a good immune response is the reason for
being healthy every day.
