In this article, we’ll highlight the most common sources of error and confusion and share how to help address them.
Micropipettes are one of the most basic yet essential types of equipment in microbiology labs. Students who have mostly used Mohr’s pipettes and volumetric cylinders for the measurement of chemical solutions at the high school level often feel confused about how to select the proper micropipette for precise handling when they get to college. Unfortunately, they also tend to lack knowledge about basic unit interconversions (L, mL, μL or g, mg, μg or M, mM, μM).
Figure: Scene from Pipetting: Selecting and Using Micropipettes Simulation from Labster. Image Credit: Labster
Learning microbiology would be incomplete without understanding staining practices. With a variety of stains available in the lab setup, students can stumble while choosing a stain according to biological tissue. They may also fail to grasp the science and mechanism of action of different stains. When the staining method involves following a series of steps, any error in the sequence can also result in failed results. A lack of understanding of the microbiological world (bacteria, viruses, etc) is also a common issue that leads students to make errors.
Microbiology labs and benchtops require absolutely sterile conditions. Carelessness in microbiology lab handling can wreak havoc in the designed experiments. This applies to everyone from amateurs to experienced students. Lack of exposure and experience in working with laminar flows, biosafety cabinets, autoclaves, etc. can be a major source of errors in the lab. Unfortunately, it’s not always practical to offer in-person demonstrations that show how to deal with errors like microbial contaminations, culture spills, and problems in aspiration systems.
Figure: The ABSA (American Biological Safety Association) conducts an Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference for highlighting biosafety and sterility issues. Image Credit: ABSA
Without a doubt, microscopes are the most important instruments in microbiology labs. There are many specialized types of microscopes, and different microscopes may require different staining practices, provide different visualizations, and have different working principles. It would be very unlikely for a student to have had prior experience working with the exact instrument they’ll need to use in any given microbiology lab experiment, especially when a highly sophisticated microscope is required.
Figure: Images from Fluorescence Microscopy Facility at EMBL. Image Credit: EMBL
Microbiological research relies heavily on the culture of microbial species. Students often get confused while making culture media, calculating colonies, and characterizing microbial growth. Their uncertainty about constitutions, calculations, and proper technique can lead to errors. Building up their foundational understanding of serial dilutions, molar calculations, and streaking techniques can help them avoid mistakes and keep their experiments running smoothly.
Repeated cycles of contamination or culture failures can make microbiology labs seem very tedious. If faculty can help students build a deeper understanding of why they are doing a particular microbiology experiment, they can help them build the confidence to avoid lab errors.
Labster simulations support microbiology educators in conveying important theoretical concepts as well as lab skills - and the engaging interactives make learning a lot less tedious. Microbiology educators can also offer their students easy access to related content from Labster’s Microbiology Simulation Course Package.
1. Eswarappa Prameela, S., McGuiggan, P.M., Brusini, A. et al. Looking at education through the microscope. Nat Rev Mater 5, 865–867 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-00246-z
2. World Health Organization. (2004). Laboratory biosafety manual. World Health Organization.
3. Perdigao, J. O. R. G. E., Lambrechts, P., & Vanherle, G. (2000). Microscopy investigations: techniques, results, limitations. Am. J. Dent, 13, 3D18D.
4. Rouf, A., Kanojia, V., Naik, H. R., Naseer, B., & Qadri, T. (2017). An overview of microbial cell culture. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 6(6), 1923-1928.
Labster helps universities and high schools enhance student success in STEM.
Request DemoRequest a demo to discover how Labster helps high schools and universities enhance student success.
Request Demo