E. B. Fred

Bacteriology at U.W.-Madison

E. B. Fred Hall

The Archived
  BACTERIOLOGY  /
FOOD SCIENCE
3 2 4
WEB SITE
for
FALL SEMESTER, 1999

Brief Introduction to Bacteriology/Food Science 324

1999 Statement:  Bacteriology/Food Science 324 is designed to supplement the lecture course and to give students experience with a number of organisms relevant to food microbiology – i.e., those associated with spoilage, production (yogurt, sauerkraut and sausage) and food-transmitted illnesses (most notably Salmonella). Basic features of the organisms are emphasized along with the associated media and other techniques used to detect, enumerate, isolate and identify them. Experiments are included which deal with water activity, thermal processing and bacteriophage contamination.

Sample Questions, Problems and Answer Keys

As we admonish on the first day of lab in Bacteriology 102, be sure to keep up with the material throughout the semester! As you go through the procedures, ask yourself "what did I do" and "why?" Also: "What did I get out of my results?" A good set of notes from the lab lectures can help considerably. Keeping up with the lecture course also "greases the wheels" and much of what you learn in 324 can help with 325!

Information regarding sample questions and problems currently posted on the web is listed below. Remember that what we have in mind regarding the associated keys is that you should go through the sample questions and problems first on your own (i.e., quiz yourself!), and then check your answers and solutions with the keys. For true/false questions, be sure you know why a given statement may be true(+) or false(O).

A growing collection of thought questions (for which there is no posted key) can be found here. Even though they are on the Bacteriology 102 site, some may be more relevant for this course – especially those questions involving media formulation!

Heavy-Duty Educational Stuff

Some old Bact. 324 and 102 handouts & blackboard-oriented lectures from pre-web days are now included in the following:

• Dilution theory: dilution plating and the MPN method. Why make it complicated?
  
• Differential media in theory and practice.
  
• Enrichment and isolation of bacteria – general principles. This page is oriented toward the Bacteriology 102 course.
  
• Bacterial identification:  general principles, API-20E identification, genotypic identification.
  
• Availability of water for microbial growth in foods – the basis of food microbiology.
  
• Sausage fermentation and greening.
  
• Sauerkraut fermentation.
  
• Overview of the lactic acid bacteria.
  
• Overview of the Family Enterobacteriaceae.
  
• Salmonella – overview and nomenclature.

There are lots of educational resources available on the Web which one can access. Do a search! A few relevant topics are listed here – not in any particular order:

• The Bacteriology 102 Website.
  
• Visit our Site Outline.
  
• "CELLS alive!"
  
• Madison Memorial High School's Disease Project Sites.