We did a lot this week!!

We have been inoculating our organisms onto various media to test their ability to grow under varying conditions. First we put the organisms into liquid media, then onto plates containing various concentrations of NaCl, and finally onto its original media that we placed in 5 different temperatures ranging from 10-42C. This was done to determine the optimal environmental conditions for each organism as well as to help in distinguishing from or comparing them to known type strains. We also plated dilutions of our soil that had been exposed to radiation. By exposing them to radiation, organisms that are radiation resistant will be able to grow without being inhibited by other faster-growing, nutrient-hogging organisms. We also observed our original soil dilution plates. The most growth was observed at 10-1 through 10-3. We also observed that each of the different media used seemed to isolate a distinct type of bacteria which I found very interesting. I am eager to continue with our research and discover more about our organisms!!