Tools and Techniques of Microbiology

Description

An indispensable tool in any microbiology laboratory is the inoculating loop. The loop is a piece of wire that is looped at one end. By heating up the loop in an open flame, the loop can be sterilized before and after working with bacteria . Thus, contamination of the bacterial sample is minimized. The inoculating loop is part of what is known as aseptic (or sterile) technique. Techniques also help detect the presence of bacteria that have become altered in their structure or genetic composition. The technique of replica plating relies on the adhesion of microbes to the support and the transfer of the microbes to a series of growth media. The technique is analogous to the making of photocopies of an original document. Cleaning chemicals are frequently employed to sterilize an area before and after work, among the most common of which is simple ethanol spray. Tools and Techniques of Microbiology is a book belonging to this category. The book not only gives the theoretical concepts behind the working of various tools used in the microbiology laboratory, but also details the techniques using those tools. This book is an excellent supplementary textbook, written in simple language and easy to understand even for beginners. All topics related to microbiology are covered - general aspects like techniques, culture and identification of bacteria, bacterial genetics, water, soil and food microbiology and the study of viruses and fungi.