Laboratory Techniques in Plant Bacteriology

Suresh G. Borkar

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351798372
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Sciences biologiques
• Subtopic: Botanique

Laboratory Techniques in Plant Bacteriology is ideal for scientists and students who seek a career in plant pathogenic bacteria. This book contains 41 chapters comprising practicable techniques from isolation of bacterial plant pathogens to their identification up to species and race/biotype level. It includes identification protocols of morphological, biochemical, immunological, and molecular-based techniques.

This book comprises all technological aspects of plant bacteriological studies. Its content is ideal for graduate students and research scholars including bacteriological professionals or technicians. The book ultimately provides working technologies useful for controlling bacterial disease pathogens.

1Laboratory Ethics in Plant Bacteriology LaboratoryInstruments and General Guidelines

To carry out scientific experiments, a research laboratory is required. A research laboratory is a well--equipped room with closed cabinets of glassware and chemicals and working platforms with hygienic conditions. The plant bacteriology laboratory necessarily requires aseptic conditions to work with plant pathogenic bacteria. To maintain laboratory standards, the bacteriology laboratory requires certain rules and ethics to follow while working.

1.1Ethics in the Laboratory

Put an important notice at the laboratory entrance depicting the following:

1. Sanitize yourself before entering laboratory.
2. No footwear or animals allowed.
3. No food or drink allowed.
4. This is a zone of silence.

1.1.1Cleanliness

Cleanliness should be maintained in the laboratory.

1. The laboratory should be dust-free and, therefore, sweep the laboratory regularly.
2. Keep all instruments in their proper place.
3. Keep all the chemical bottles/packet at their proper places by arranging them alphabetically.
4. Avoid bringing food and drink in the laboratory.
5. Hang out working aprons at their proper places and wear them while working.
6. Sanitize the laboratory for insects and pests at regular intervals.
7. Keep air freshener in the laboratory so as to avoid any unpleasant laboratory smells.
8. Keep the waste material in disposal bags and dispose of them daily.

1.1.2Silence

1. Do not make noise in the laboratory. Strive for silence in the laboratory.
2. Use the laboratory only for experimentation and research, not for general purpose.
3. Avoid discussions, lectures, and gossip in the laboratory.

1.1.3Dress Code

1. Dress properly while working in laboratory.
2. Put on your apron, gloves, mask, and head cover while working in the laboratory.
3. Maintain dress material in separate storage cabinets.

1.1.4Storage Cabinets

1. Store your chemicals, working glassware, such as Petri plates, test tubes, beakers, flasks, and pipettes, separately in an individual cabinet allocated for these. (See Figure 1.1.)
2. Store your sample temporary (not more than 48 hours) in well-sealed packets in the cabinet allocated for this purpose.
3. Store all markers, inoculating needles, forceps, scissors, rubber bands, threads, and other miscellaneous items in one place.
4. Store all papers, such as brown paper, butter paper, water-absorbent paper, and tissue papers in one place.
5. Store all the filter papers in one place.

Figure 1.1Chemical storage cabinet in bacteriology laboratory. (Courtesy of Dr. S. G. Borkar, Department of Plant Pathology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri.)

1.1.5Maintenance of Laboratory Hygiene

Maintain hygienic condition in the laboratory.

1. Do not keep open the microbial culture plates.
2. Put the waste material in a disposable bag at a proper place; the disposable bag should not be kept open. Autoclave the disposable material before final disposal.
3. Clean the laboratory floor with Lysol or any other detergent daily. Sweep the working tables with proper antimicrobial agents or with methylated spirit. Dusting of the instruments at regular intervals is a must.

1.2Laboratory Instruments

1.2.1Maintenance of Instruments

Make annual maintenance contracts for the instruments so as to maintain them by a trained technician. Check the proper working of the instruments before putting to final use for experimental purposes so as to avoid the loss of important research material. Maintain a log book for each instrument and enter its working hours. Refer to the ...