Title
Digging for Antibiotics
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in today’s society. This resistance can be caused due to taking too much of an antibiotic or any other method that would give the bacteria time to mutate, with these new mutations causing stronger and more resistant strands of the infectious bacteria. According to the CDC, “in the U.S., more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year” (CDC, 2022). This startling fact pertaining to the rising prevalence of antibiotic resistance is the reasoning behind my microbiology project. The main goal was to see if there was any antibiotic producing bacteria in the soil here on campus. We then plated the diluted samples and did numerous tests on our bacteria to see if they had any antibiotic producing abilities. Some of the tests we completed were tests with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermis to test if our bacteria could produce antibodies. Additionally, we preformed biochemical tests, differential and selective media tests, nutrient utilization tests, and the final test which utilized the Kirby Baur disk diffusion method. My results for these tests, as well as more specifics, are further discussed later in my poster.
Poster
Mackenzie Moser-Micro symposium poster
Mini Bio
My name is Mackenzie Moser. I am 20 years old and a second-year nursing major. In the future, my goal is to work as a labor and delivery nurse. My micro lecture and lab have helped to further my knowledge about many qualities and classifications of bacteria and antibiotics that I wouldn’t have known otherwise, which will be important in my future career.