Frequently Asked Questions about Microbiology Projects

1.  Does this have to be written up in essay form?

• Yes, absolutely all of it should be written out in essay form.  Even though this is not a paper for an English class I expect correct sentence structure and punctuation.
• For full credit your paper must be double-spaced and in 12-point type.  [Note that Word 2007 default type is 11 point and 1.5 spaces.]

2.  Do the pictures have to be in digital format?

• Yes.  Drawn pictures must be scanned and then inserted into your paper.
• You may choose to use a digital paint program to make your pictures.

3.  I took pictures through the ocular lens with my digital camera.  Can I use those pictures?

• Only if they are absolutely clear.  If you say the picture has gram positive cocci that should be clearly visible in the picture.
• You may use them but I suggest you also have a drawn picture as well because most digital cameras do not have good enough resolution through the microscope lens at 1000x.

4a. Can I submit the pictures separately?

• They must be in the same document as your text.
• You may embed them within the paragraphs OR you may put them all at the end.
• Regardless of you you do this be sure to number your illustrations (Figure 1, Figure 2 and so on) and then refer to your illustration in your text.

4b. Do I have to draw my control over and over each time I did a gram stain?

• No — but be sure to say you did one and that it looked like the first one you did that is shown in Figure 1 (or Figure whatever.)

5. How should I label my pictures?

• With something like this:  Figure 1.  Gram stain of the broth culture of the unknown (1,000x).

6. Do I need to write out the steps of the techniques I used?

• No, it is not necessary.  You should, however, always say that you used a control when you did so.

7. Can I abbreviate Staphylococcus as Staph?

• No but after you write it out once you can use S. aureus rather than Staphylococcus aureus.  An exception to this rule is Escherichia coli which is always written as E. coli.

8. Can I just use the blurb that I wrote next to my drawings in the lab book as the written description of my bacteria?

• No — the written description of what you saw must be in paragraph form within the text of your paper.  Do not include it with the picture itself.  All you need with the picture is the label as in #5 above.

9. Should the paper be any specific length?

• No — it depends upon how well your project went, how difficult an unknown you had, and how wordy you are when you write.
• Generally the text alone should be at least 3 double-spaced pages.  After all, you have to say what you did, when you did it and clearly describe your results.

10. What happens if I couldn’t isolate both bacteria?

• You will get partial credit.
• Remember that you can’t know what you have isolated; you just need to describe its characteristics.
• We will tell you what you had in you unknown after you have handed in the pictures.

11. Do I have to submit the paper in Vancko Hall and give my lab instructor a paper copy?

• Yes to both questions.
• If you have problems submitting it in Vancko Hall in under the Assignment, send it in Vancko Hall but in the email function “email list” as an attachment to an email.

12. Does the copy I hand to my instructor have to be printed in color?

• No, we will refer to your digital copy for the color of your pictures and illustrations.
• Note that your drawings do not have to be in color but since color is often important the colors should be labeled on the drawings.