Observation and Microbiology for Biotechnology

This week has seen us return to bench work and as you know we are set on a course to purify our own Green Fluorescent Protein before Christmas. Over the last few days, you will gave become used to my sarcasm over your economic approach to the use of adjectives? One of the most important aspects of Scientific endeavour is the ability to make careful observations....and record them concisely and quickly. In addition, you should write up your methodology in a way that will enable you (and anyone else)to obtain the same set of experimental results. Finally, you must label all of your samples carefully, so that you can locate your plate or tube after a day, a week or a year, if necessary. 

As you will have noticed I pushed you to describe the plates above (well your own poured and inoculated plates) in detail. I was looking for comments on 

Percentage coverage of the plate
Distribution of the colonies
Shapes and sizes of the colonies
Colour and appearance of the colonies
Sizes of (and shape) single colonies (did you use the magnifier?)
Number of colonies estimated by "sectoring" the plate
Did the culture have any characteristic smell?
Was there any evidence for contamination?

You can read more at one of my earlier Blog Posts http://utcinnovationlabs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/elementary-my-dear-watson.html

Key words Observation Recording findings