CSUN Microbiology Labs (Biol 215L and Biol 315L)



Many files on this page are provided in Adobe Acrobat ("pdf") format. To view these files you will need Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is available as a free download from the following link:

Get Adobe Reader


Access to many links posted on this page require a valid CSUN Username and Password. The correct username is your complete CSUN email address - including the @my.csun.edu part (for students). For example a student's username might look something like the following:

firstname.lastname@my.csun.edu or

firstname.middleinitial.lastname@my.csun.edu or

firstname.lastname.number@my.csun.edu

For faculty the username might look something like:

firstname.lastname@csun.edu or firstname.middleinitial.lastname@csun.edu .

The @my.csun.edu or the @csun.edu must be included as part of the username. The password is your regular CSUN password.

Laboratory Exercises

These laboratory exercises are to be used in conjunction with "A Photographic Atlas for the Microbiology Laboratory, 3rd. ed. by M.J. Leboffe and B.E. Pierce. 2005. Morton Publishing Company. Englewood, CO. ISBN: 0-89582-656-9. The atlas is available in the bookstore and other locations.

  1. Microscope Handout, Zeiss Standard 16 (Room 4209 only).
  2. Microscope Handout, Zeiss Axiolab (Room 4207 only).
  3. Aseptic Culture Transfer (large file)
  4. Preparation and Sterilization of Microbiological Media
  5. Pipetting
  6. Biofilms
  7. Gram Stain
  8. Acid-Fast Stain
  9. Endospore Stain
  10. Determination of Bacterial Numbers
  11. Dilutions, Dilution Factors, proper use of C1V1=C2V2, and serial dilutions
  12. Dilutions and Conversions: Sample problems
  13. More reading on Dilutions. (Appendix A of Prescott et al.)
  14. Starch Hydrolysis
  15. Lipid Hydrolysis, Lipase Test
  16. Bile Esculin Test
  17. Skin Microflora (Blood Agar Plate & Mannitol Salts Agar plate)
  18. Gelatin Hydrolysis
  19. Casein Hydrolysis
  20. Sulfide Formation & Motility
  21. Oxidase Test
  22. Catalase Test
  23. DNase Test
  24. Coagulase Test
  25. Air Plates, Isolation of Airborne Microorganisms
  26. Growth Curve
  27. Fermentations
  28. ONPG Test for beta-galactosidase
  29. Anaerobic Culture
  30. Environmental Effects
  31. IMViC Series
  32. Phenylalanine Deamination
  33. Urease Test
  34. Nitrate Reduction
  35. Water Quality: MPN Estimation of Coliforms
  36. Standard Coliform MPN Table
  37. Water Quality: ColiLert Presence/Absence and MPN tests
  38. ColiLert Quantitray 2000 MPN Table
  39. Isolation and Identification of Bacillus
  40. Bacterial count of a food product (dilution scheme)
  41. Bacteriophage enumeration
  42. Enumeration of Soil Microorganisms
  43. Dilution Protocol for UV Exposure Exercise
  44. Conjugation