Week 1: September, 12, 20221 - September, 16, 2022


    My first week in the lab, I joined a group that is testing to see if  Deinococcus aquaticus has a gene that is resistant to one of three antibiotics. The three antibiotics they are testing are tetracycline, kanamycin, and chloramphenicol. More specifically, they are testing to see at which concentration of antibiotic D.aquaticus can still continue to grow. 

The Three Antibiotics

Tetracycline is used to treat infections caused by bacteria. It works by preventing the growth and spread of bacteria. This antibiotic is typically prescribed to treat pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections, certain infections of the eye, skin, lymphatic, intestinal, genital, and urinary systems. Tetracycline can be prescribed, along with other medications, to treat acne or to treat patients who can’t be treated with penicillin in order to treat certain types of food poisoning.

Kanamycin is ued to treat infections caused by bacteria and just like tetracycline, it inhibits the gorwth of bacteria. It is typically prescribed to treat active tuberculosis, sepsis, infection in the abdomen, bacterial urinary tract infections, infections of joints, bones, or infections of burn wounds.

Chloramphenicol is prescribed to treat serious infection in the body. It should not be used to treat common colds, sinus infections, or sore throats as it has serious side effects. It is typically used as a last resort when it comes to treating patients. Some of the side effects include blood and eye problems.

Experiment 

In order to determine which antibiotic D.aquaticus can resist and still continue to grow on, we set up different concentrations of each antibiotic. Before I began coming to lab, they had already done a test with tetracycline and now, the concentrations of tetracycline were lowered for this test. They concentrations to test Kanamycin and Chloramphenicol were the same. 

Tetracycline Concentrations 

Concentration 1

3.125 μL/mL

Concentration 2

1.56 μL/mL

Concentration 3

0.78 μL/mL

Concentration 4

0.39 μL/mL

Concentration 5

0.195 μL/mL

Concentration 6

0.0975 μL/mL


Kanamycin Concentrations 


Concentration 1

100μL/mL

Concentration 2 

50 μL/mL

Concentration 3 

25 μL/mL

Concentration 4 

12.5 μL/mL

Concentration 5 

6.25 μL/mL

Concentration 6

3.125 μL/mL

Concentration 7

0.0975 μL/mL


Chloramphemicol Concentrations 


Concentration 1

100μL/mL

Concentration 2 

50 μL/mL

Concentration 3

25 μL/mL

Concentration 4 

12.5 μL/mL

Concentration 5 

6.25 μL/mL

Concentration 6

3.125 μL/mL

Concentration 7

0.0975 μL/mL


48 Hour Reading


I was there for the forty-eight hour reading of the antibiotics to test for growth. We tested with the spectrometer on 200 spec with a  wavelength of 600. We blanked it with control 1 which was just media. 


Tetracycline



Concentration of Antibiotic 

Absorbance 

Concentration 1 

3.125 μL/mL

0.00

Concentration 2 

1.56 μL/mL

-0.01

Concentration 3 

0.78 μL/mL

0.01

Concentration 4

0.39 μL/mL

0.08

Concentration 5 

0.195 μL/mL

0.04

Concentration 6

0.0975 μL/mL

0.02


Kanamycin 



Concentration of Antibiotic 

Absorbance 

Concentration 1

100 μL/mL

-0.01

Concentration 2

50 μL/mL

-0.01

Concentration 3

25 μL/mL

0.00

Concentration 4

12.5 μL/mL

-0.01

Concentration 5

6.25 μL/mL

0.01

Concentration 6

3.125 μL/mL

0.01

Concentration 7

1.56 μL/mL

0.59


Chloramphenicol



Concentration of Antibiotic

Absorbance 

Concentration 1

100 μL/mL

0.01

Concentration 2

50 μL/mL

0.06

Concentration 3

25 μL/mL

0.00

Concentration 4

12.5 μL/mL

-0.01

Concentration 5

6.25 μL/mL

0.01

Concentration 6

3.125 μL/mL

-0.01

Concentration 7

1.56 μL/mL

-0.01


Kanamycin showed the mst growth out of all three antibiotics. Next week, we will test Kanamycin at lower concentrations since the growth occurred on the lowest concentration.


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