Microbiology Lab Virtual Unknown

Can anyone give me some tips on how to use the online virtual lab unknown in microbiology? I'm like, really confused how to test certain unknowns...
Now that is a really vague question considering all the virtual labs that are out there.

I mean really......You need to have more detailes in what your asking.

for starters is it gram + or gram -? positive or negative catalase test, etc, etc, etc. Just go through the process of elimination and you'll get it.

i had a hands on lab for micro unknowns. Heelhook80 has the right idea. Go through your list of tests and shapes - you should be able to narrow it down

Search your help section. I forget where it is, but there is a section that recommends the tests for gram + or - bacteria.

Also, you can narrow your list by deciding between motile or non-motile bacteria. I know at first all is really confusing but the more you practice, the better you get. Just trust the process. Good luck!

Quote from RocketeerSearch your help section. I forget where it is, but there is a section that recommends the tests for gram + or - bacteria.

it's basically trial and error. the good thing is, you can do it as many times as you need until you get it right. test the ones that have about an equal amount of positives and negatives.

Hey, thanks so much for the info. Could you give me some advice on what to study for on the test? I have been going on over the practice test and slides, but there's so much information to know... Any info would be great, thanks!

I'm resurrecting this thread because I'm having problems with it, too. I don't understand how to run multiple tests on a sample. The tutorial is a joke as far as actually running the program, afaik. The lab manual seems to be 162 pp of quizzes, which I simply don't have time for in an 8-week class.I have a note in to my teacher, but if anyone has any pearls for me, I'd be eternally grateful.

I went through a wet lab in school, and starting off with gram+ or gram- narrows down the field alot. Think about making a dichotomous key with the tests. If they show up + or - for a test then you know you have narrowed down the field some. I had a friend that took microbio in a virtual lab with no instructor, and they seemed really lost in the sauce. You need to understand that some tests will give you a result for multiple criteria. It is really easy when you got someone actually teaching you why you are doing the things your doing. Maybe your local college has a micro tutor, using wikipedia to look up stuff in micro can get kinda overwhelming since it goes into way too much detail for tests.

My problem, though, is how to use the actual program. I get that there are a lot of tests to run, and that narrows the field, but I don't know HOW and I can't figure it out. It only lets me run one test on each sample, and she keeps saying to run multiple tests until I feel like I can ID the microbe but I can't figure out how to run those other tests. The tutorial is a joke, and the manual doesn't help any more than the tutorial. The website is just as bad. I'm kind of cheesed that I had to pay for this. It took 12 days to arrive, and their customer service takes a week to respond.Bah. What a way to run a railroad.