Introductory Microbiology Lab Skills and Techniques in Food Science

Dr. Cangliang Shen, Food Microbiologist and Associate Professor/Extension Specialist, Ph.D., Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design, West Virginia University. Dr. Shen has received several awards including the most recent Outstanding Volunteer Award of Food Microbiology Division, Institute of Food Technologists 2018. He is the Chair of Food Microbiology for IFT and has received 12 funded research grants in food safety. He is the co-author of the book, Food Microbiology Laboratory for the Food Science Student: A Practical Approach, published by Springer in 2017, and has published ~41 journal articles. He serves as the Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Food Protection and Food Protection Trends. Dr. Yifan Zhang, Professor of Wayne State University, has an extensive research and teaching experience in food microbiology. Dr. Zhang has led multiple projects supported by the US Department of Agriculture to understand the role that food and agricultural environment play in transmitting human pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance in urban agricultural settings. She is the co-author of Food Microbiology Laboratory for the Food Science Student: A Practical Approach, published by Springer in 2017. Dr. Zhang is on the editorial board of Frontiers in Microbiology and Journal of Food Protection. Prior to her current position, she completed postdoctoral training at Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University. Dr. Zhang received the PhD degree in Food Science from the University of Maryland, College Park.

1. Introduction of microbial and chemical safety and lab notebook record

2. Practice of Bright-field Microscopy

3. Preparation of Smears and Simple Stain Practice

4. Gram Stain Practice

5. Acid-Fast Stain Practice

6. Endospore Stain Practice

7. Aseptic Technique-Bacteria Transfer and Streak Plating

8. Lab Practice Test 1-Identify unknown bacteria using Gram stain

9. Introduction of bacteria medium, Nutritional Requirements (Synthetic and Complex Media) Selective & Differential Media (McConkey, Manitol Salt, Blood agar)

10. Lab Practice Test 2-Dilution technology and quiz

11. Numeration bacteria population by pour-plating

12. Numeration bacteria population by spread-plating

13. External Conditions for bacterial growth (Temperature, pH, oxygen, osmatic)

14. Cultivation of anaerobic bacteria

15. Biochemistry test of bacteria-1 (Urease Test, Carbohydrate Fermentation, catalase test, oxidase test)

16. Biochemistry test of bacteria-2 (Nitrate Reduction, Decarboxylation & Deamination of Amino Acids, IMViC Test, Hydrogen Sulfide, Motility and Indole Test)

17. Biochemistry test of bacteria-3 (API20e and enterotube II)

18. Extracellular Enzymatic Activities of Microorganisms

19. Case study 1 (Bacteria cause upper respiratory tract diseases)

20. Clinical lab practice 2-Urine sample bacteria isolation and numeration

21. Case study 2 (Bacteria cause intestinal tract and urine tract diseases)

22. Isolation of phage and PFU determination

23. Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing and Evaluation of Antiseptics/Disinfectants

24. Microbial Counts of Food Product

25. Total Plate Count & Coliform Count of Pond Water