Choosing a Test / Selecting a Medium

To help ID your bacterium, choose a test that will eliminate many of the possible choices by consulting your ID Matrix.  Your goal should be to find a test with roughly equal + and – results.  That way, you can narrow down the possible microbes no matter the result. 

 

Now, it’s time to do that test.

  1. Find which medium is required to do the test by consulting the Biochemical Tests Book in Help.

  2. Click on the Tests link above the Virtual Lab and highlight the “Select media” option.  The “Add Media” form will appear.

  3. Click on the “Select Media” dropdown list and highlight the medium needed.

  4. Provide a Label for the medium so that it can be found once you have inoculated it and placed it in the incubator.

  5. A tube of your unknown bacterium will appear at left and your selected medium will appear at right on the lab bench.