Dear learners, welcome to the practical sessions of the course “Basic Microbiology”. The lab exercises and experiments provided in this manual are based on the syllabus that you have studied in BBCET-143. Throughout the theory course you were taught the taxonomic classification of microorganisms and their characteristics. You learnt in details about their life cycles, their applications in health and diseases as well as food and other industries. Methods of culturing these tiny organisms in lab and methods of controlling their growth were also discussed.

This lab course is worth 2 Credits and consists of seven laboratory experiments. The experiments are designed in such a way that you are able to experience and connect the theoretical concepts explained so far. Basic principle on which these experiments are based has also been explained in each exercise.

The broad objective of this lab course is to enable you to:

• learn and practise rules to be followed in a microbiology and biosafety lab;

• understand the Principle and applications of some important instruments used in a microbiology lab;

• prepare and sterilize the culture media used for bacterial cultivation;

• study the shapes of bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa from permanent slides;

• isolate pure bacterial cultures using streak plate method; and

• perform Kirby-Bauer antibiotic sensitivity test for qualitative detection of antibiotic action.

Like all other IGNOU laboratory courses, this is an intensive residential exercise requiring one week for completing 2 credits. Everyday there will be two laboratory sessions of 4 hours each. So there will be a total of 14 sessions. The first session will be introductory and the remaining 2nd to 12th sessions will be based on the exercises given in the course. A schedule for laboratory exercises will be given to you in the first session. Sessions 1 to 12 will have guided exercises under the supervision of the academic counsellor. The last two sessions i.e., 13th and 14th will be unguided sessions and that would pertain to evaluation for the term end examination. In each session you will perform exercises for 3 hours and in the remaining 1 hour you are advised to complete your practical note book. 

The laboratory notebook must be submitted to the counsellor for corrections and grading. 70% marks have been assigned for doing the experiments and recording them properly. You should be aware that due to time constraint as you will have limited access to laboratory work; therefore, you are required not to miss any of the laboratory sessions. Performance during the practical sessions will be graded and you will have to appear for the viva-voce at the end of the practical session. At the end of the laboratory session you would be asked to perform the assigned experiment, which will be graded. Final assessment will be made based on the continuous performance during the laboratory sessions, maintenance of log books and records followed by viva-voce. 30% marks are reserved for the assigned experiments.