Food Microbiology Lab (11:400:424)

(Revised on Month Day, Year)

Class schedule

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COURSE WEBSITE, RESOURCES & MATERIALS

All of the materials that you will need for this course will be posted in the Canvas website. Textbook: There is NO mandatory textbook required for this course.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The role of microorganisms in food processing and preservation and health promotion. The relation of microorganisms to food spoilage, food-borne illness and intoxication, and general food quality.

PRE-/CO-REQUISITE:

Food Microbiology 11:400:423

LEARNING GOALS:

This course fulfills LG#3: Graduates will demonstrate and apply knowledge of the core competencies of Food Microbiology.

Course Objectives

In this class, the student will become familiar with

1. the laboratory methods used in the microbiological analysis of foods
2. the identifying characteristics of the major groups of microorganisms

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Use aseptic technique to properly handle microorganisms
2. Properly use microscope
3. Stain microorganisms using the Gram stain
4. Inoculate and isolate bacteria
5. Analyze food for the presence of microorganisms
6. Prepare fermented food using microorganisms.

ASSIGNMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES, GRADING & ASSESSMENT

Course Format:

This is an introductory laboratory course in food microbiology.

Attendance/Participation

Attendance to all labs is mandatory, unless in the case of an emergency. It is the responsibility of the student to make up any missed work or notes. participation in all labs is required as well as participation in class discussions during the introduction to each lab. Final participation grade will be based on lab participation/attitude/group work/discussions/cleanliness. Time will be given at the end of each lab to properly clean before the end of the lab period.

The experiments, assignments, projects, and other activities in this course are designed to help students to learn the basic principles of food microbiology, execute correctly and efficiently basic food microbiology methods, work effectively with others to solve problems, report their results clearly and concisely, both in oral and written form, and think critically about the planning of experiments and the interpretation osf results.

Students are expected to show up for class on time and be prepared for the class activities, work diligently, ask questions, and participate in class discussions.

Grading for the Laboratory

Weekly Lab Reports:
Each week students are responsible for handing in a short, one-page, summary report on the lab completed the previous week. Reports should be clearly written and concise and will be graded based on quality of the content.

1. Each experiment should start on a new page and hould have a title.
2. The objective/purpose of each experiment should be clearly stated.
3. In the materials and methods section, you should list the microorganisms used in the experiment, media/growth conditions, and the experimental procedures.
4. The results section should include raw data, your preliminary calculations.
5. In the discussion section you should try interpreting your results.

Full Lab Reports
(Formal lab reports): will be written independently and should follow the format of a scientific paper.

• They should be typed, concise and neat.
• You may include a hand drawing in your report when appropriate.
• Visual representation of your data (graphs) should be prepared through software such as Excel, Origin, etc.
• Lab reports will be due week 9 on any of the labs, choose the one you are most comfortable with.
• This is an exercise to teach you more about writing a formal lab report and understanding what is appropriate for one.

Quizzes:
Will be given weekly at the beginning of class, during the first 10-15 minutes. Students late to class will not be able to make up quizzes.

Exams:
Will include topics discussed in the class. Exam 1 will be a written exam based on labs from weeks 1-6. Exam 2 will cumulative and partially practical on labs from all weeks.

Exams:
Assignments will be based on reviewing a research paper and will take the form of open-ended questions. Assignments will be assigned after spring break end and due before exam 2.

Lab Notebooks:

Every student must have a separate notebook, which will count for 10 points (out of a total of 100 points) for your final grade. The notebooks will be collected and graded at the times of Exams I and II. They will also be checked early in the semester to be sure that they are maintained correctly.

Following is expected:

1. The notebook should be a bound book with the pages numbered.
2. Each experiment should start on a new page and should be clearly labeled with its name and number.
3. The "working section" for each experiment should clearly describe the samples tested (include all relevant information such as brand, company name, lot number, pull date, etc.), where the procedures can be found in the lab manual, what changes were made in the procedures, how the samples were handled and what dilutions were made, and an account of problems encountered, errors made, special observations, etc. You do not have to copy procedures from the lab manual. You only need to note where the printed procedures were not followed.
4. The results section should include all raw data, neatly tabulated, all calculations made (include just a sample calculation if several repetitive calculations were made), and the final reported results.
5. At the end of each experiment, you must include a one-page summary (written in good English in complete sentences) that states the purpose of the experiment, summarizes what was done, presents the reported results, and discusses the significance of the results. If results don't seem to be good or reasonable, the discussion should include an analysis of what went wrong. If results seem good, the discussion should include talk about what they mean. These summaries will be the principal parts of your notebook that will be examined for grading.
   It is wise to keep the notebook up to date and complete each write-up and summary as you finish each experiment. The completed notebook must be handed in at the times of Exams I and II. Late notebooks will have 5 points deducted per day late.

Working in Groups

Most experiments should be conducted in groups of no more than 3 students. All members of the group have to share equally in the work that must be done. Rotate jobs among group members; for example, don't have the same person always make dilutions.

For each experiment, the group must hand in a brief report that summarizes what the experiment was; what sample(s) were used; raw data obtained (in tables, please!); reported counts; brief notation on any problems encountered. This report is due on the day that the experiment is completed. Each group member must take turns to compile data and hand in the report.

Expectations:

The experiments, assignments, projects, and other activities in this course are designed to help students to learn the basic principles of food microbiology, execute correctly and efficiently basic food microbiology methods, work effectively with others to solve problems, report their results clearly and concisely, both in oral and written form, and think critically about the planning of experiments and the interpretation of results. Students are expected to show up for class on time and be prepared for the class activities, work diligently, ask questions and participate in class discussions.

Communication:

Students are encouraged to ask questions, express concerns, etc. at any time. This is a rather informal laboratory class and the TA will be in the lab at the regularly scheduled lab times. Therefore, it is expected that most questions can be answered during the lab time. However, if you would like to talk with the course co-coordinator or the TA at another time, we would be happy to set up an appointment with you. Talk to us in class (best option), send us an email message (next best option), call us on the phone, or stop by the office.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Topics covered in the class- Lab safety and general lab instructions

• Bacteriocins and well diffusion assay
• Total plate count of fermented foods
• Detection of food borne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria)
• Yeasts and molds
• Sanitation
• Detection of bacteriophage--plaque assay
• Detection of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes in foods.

Grading Grid:

MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY SAFETY RULES

YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH LIVE, POTENTIALLY PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS. FOR YOUR SAFETY AND THAT OF OTHERS, THESE RULES MUST BE OBSERVED.

1. Always wear a lab coat.
2. Wear protective gloves when required.
3. Outer clothing, books, backpacks should be kept in the cabinet under your bench or in a locker .
4. You cannot bring food or beverages into the lab. No eating or drinking in the lab.
5. Do not place anything - pencils, pipettes, fingers, etc. in your mouth. Do not rub your eyes.
6. Long hair must be tied back.
7. Following the safety policy of Rutgers, no open toe shoes or sandals are to be worn in lab as well as shorts or short skirts.
8. Safety glasses must be worn.
9. Each day clean the top of your bench with the disinfectant provided before you leave. This is for your protection and greatly reduces the possibility of contamination of your cultures.
10. Report any accident, no matter how minor, to your lab instructor.
11. If a culture is dropped or spilled, notify your instructor at once. Cultures are never to be taken from the lab.
12. Gas burners must be turned off when not in use.
13. Pipettes, plastic ware, culture tubes, Petri dishes, etc. must be placed in the proper receptacle.
14. Place used slides and cover slips in sharps containers.
15. Never touch a door with gloves on. Do not leave the lab with gloves on.
16. Wash your hands before you leave the lab.

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ACCOMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Please follow the procedures outlined at Rutgers Office Of Disability services Registration form. Full policies and procedures are found in the Rutgers Office Of Disability services website.

The Rutgers Office Of Disability services is located at Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145, Livingston Campus, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854. The contact phone number is (848) 445-6800.

Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation at Rutgers Office Of Disability services documentation Guidelines website. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the Registration form on the ODS web site at: Rutgers Office Of Disability services Registration form.

Absence Policy

The University does recognize that temporary conditions and injuries can be problematic and may adversely affect a student’s ability to fully participate in class.

The Dean of Students Office at Rutgers University-New Brunswick provides solutions, services, and support to help students navigate Rutgers University. By focusing on students’ educational, social, and personal development, staff in the Office promote academic success and student retention. The Office serves as a student support network by providing advocacy, problem resolution, and critical incident intervention for those times when additional assistance is needed.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The university's policy on Academic Integrity requires that a student:

Failure to uphold these principles of academic integrity threatens both the reputation of the University and the value of the degrees awarded to its students. Every member of the University community therefore bears a responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic integrity are upheld.

Cheating and Plagiarism

(From Spring 2010 Andy Egan 01:730:252 Eating Right): "Cheating on tests or plagiarizing materials in your papers deprives you of the educational benefits of preparing these materials appropriately. It is personally dishonest to cheat on a test or to hand in a paper based on unacknowledged words or ideas that someone else originated. It is also unfair, since it gives you an undeserved advantage over your fellow students who are graded on the basis of their own work. In this class we will take cheating very seriously".

Turnitin will be used to assess students‚ submissions and all suspected cases of cheating and plagiarism will be automatically referred to the Rutgers Academic Integrity office.

Just In Case Web App

Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS)

Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) located at 17 Senior Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 is a University mental health support service that includes counseling, alcohol and other drug assistance, and psychiatric services staffed by a team of professional within Rutgers Health services to support students’ efforts to succeed at Rutgers University. CAPS offers a variety of services that include: individual therapy, group therapy and workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists in the community and consultation and collaboration with campus partners. its phone number is (848) 932-7884.

Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA)

The Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA) phone number is (848) 932-1181, and it is located at 3 Bartlett Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance provides confidential crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy for victims of sexual and relationship violence and stalking to students, staff and faculty. To reach staff during office hours when the university is open or to reach an advocate after hours, call 848-932- 1181.

Disability Services

The Office of Disability Services phone number is (848) 445-6800, and it is located at Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145 Livingston Campus 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue Piscataway, NJ 08854

Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation at Office of Disability Services Documentation Quidelines website. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the Registration Form.

Scarlet Listeners

Scarlet Listeners provides free and confidential peer counseling and referral hotline, providing a comforting and supportive safe space. Call at (732) 247-5555 for more information.