Gram Staining and Compound Light Microscopy

In this 2-week skills-based biotechnology unit, students will enhance their knowledge in biomanufacturing, particularly in determining impurities during drug development. Students will receive direct instructions on the biomanufacturing process and associated model organisms like Escherichia coli. In the skills-based portion, students will perform the Gram-stain and compound light microscopy using oil immersion (1000x). As assessments, students will submit their laboratory notebook, differentiate an unknown bacteria using Gram-stain, and use oil immersion to demonstrate microscopy skills. These assessments will be graded using a standard-based rubric. The overall unit aims to provide a broad understanding of Gram-negative bacteria contaminants in biomanufacturing and diagnostic tests in a clinical setting.