MICROBIOLOGY

As well as causing a familiar range of diseases in animals and plants and problems in food spoilage and deterioration of other materials, microbes are also our ‘invisible allies’. Indeed, life on Earth would not be sustainable without the benefits that many of them provide. The teaching of such an important subject as microbiology cannot be achieved effectively without enhancing the theory with ‘hands on’ experience in the laboratory. The purpose of this manual is to provide teachers and technicians with good techniques in practical microbiology to ensure that investigations proceed safely and achieve the required educational aims successfully. This manual has been written for a right-handed person. Citations are important for a journal to get impact factor. Impact factor is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to recent articles published in the journal. The impact of the journal is influenced by impact factor, the journals with high impact factor are considered more important than those with lower ones. Impact factor plays a major role for the particular journal. Higher impact factor is considered to be more important than other ones. Impact factor can be calculated as average number of citation divided by recent cited articles published in 2 years. The small size of microbes and the consequent need to deal with cultures that contain many millions of microbial cells require special procedures for their safe use. Activities involving micro-organisms are controlled by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations and teachers and technicians have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to comply with any safety instructions given by their employers. These include using model risk assessments for which it is necessary to refer to appropriate publications such as CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook (2006), section 15.2, Topics in Safety, 3rd edition (ASE, 2001), Microbiology: an HMI Guide (DES, 1990) and Safety in Science Education (DfEE, 1996). The guidelines are straightforward and largely common sense and, as such, are not an obstacle to conducting interesting microbiological investigations in a school laboratory.