December

Started my internship beginning of this month, working as an intern in Pathlab Petaling Jaya. It has been 30 days since I started, sometimes it was exciting and some other times it was gloomy and dull. I made a number of friends there and they are cool, made my working experience more exciting. I started working in Biochem department and currently in EIA (Enzyme Immunoassay). I will get transferred to Haematology and Microbiology department in January. I do not want to say much about the experience I had so far but I really hope I will be able to learn as much as I can and use it in the future. December passed really fast and I still cannot believe that today is already the last day of it. Hoping for an exciting new year of 2011. I strongly believe that 2011 will completely be a new turnover in my life, things will be different (other than the fact that I am turning 21 years old). This year's Christmas was really happening for me, too bad it was without my parents but I still going to see them in January because they are coming here to attend my cousin's wedding.

Surabaya

Currently I'm back in Surabaya. It's great to finally meet my parents and being with my family here. I supposed to leave Malaysia on Saturday 10.30pm. However, the flight was delayed until 12am. So I left on Sunday and I reached Surabaya at 2am local time, ie 3am Malaysian time. Once I reached, went back home and ate the fried duck from nearby stall of my house. The duck from that stall is super duper niceee... The meat is so tender and the sauce and chili sauce are also amazing. So after that I slept and woke up at 12pm in the afternoon. Then, me and my parents went to next city called Mojokerto to pick my brother there and to visit my auntie. Had a long chat with my auntie's family (actually my mom had a long chat, I just listened to them). And so today, which is Monday, we went to mobile phones shopping mall and computer shopping mall. Went around to check prices for my new phone, Nokia e72. After I compared all the prices, the price in Malaysia is still cheaper, so I'm buying it later when I come back to Malaysia. My dad bought a computer for my aunt in Mojokerto because she needs it for her restaurant administration. Then the night we went to eat Nasi Campur!! It is basically a rice with kerupuk, kacang sauce, vegetables, and some other stuffs. But you can order other stuffs as well such as fried chicken, fried corn, fried brain (cow brain), etc. After the dinner, my dad went for medical check up. Well, we do not know the result today, but the doctor said most probably it is going to be okay, ie not serious disease. Praise God for that. Well tomorrow is the real deal, I pray to God that everything is gonna be alright. If anyone happen to read this blog, help me in prayer k! Thanks.

That's all for now.

Mizz Nina feat.Colby O'Donis - What you waiting for

This song is not bad...

Wohooo

Okay, done with microbiology... One more to go, that is physiology paper 2. Physiology paper is on Friday. Still got so much time to study, I can relax a bit :P. Ahh going back on Saturday to Indo. So many things I want to buy. Ok, I'm gonna make a list of what I want to buy and hopefully, I can get most of them. Of course it is almost impossible to get all the things.... because of financial limitation. haha

Wishlist:
1. New phone
2. Clothes; shorts, long jeans, nice t-shirt, coat, belt and formal shirt
3. Cologne
4. Sunglasses
5. Wireless mouse

Currently there are 5 of them. That would cost a lot if I get all of them. Just hope for the best :D.

Microbiology - Microbial Growth

Biocidal Agent = Agent that effectively destroy or remove target cells
Biostatic Agent = Agent that inhibits growth but do not kill organism

Physical Agents for Sterilization
- Heat (dry and moist)
- Ionizing Radiation
Gaseous Chemical Sterilants
- Ethylene oxide gas
- Gas plasma (hydrogen peroxide vapour)
- Formaldehyde vapour
Liquid Chemical Sterilants
- Peracetic acid
- 2% glutaraldehyde

Moist heat, in the form of boiling water is very efficient as rapid and effective decontaminating agent. At 65 degree or above, it denatures of cells components progressively. Bacterial spores are very resistant and therefore, to cause any effect to spores the temperature must be above 100 degree C. Autoclave is a method to sterilize spores by using saturated steam.

Dry heat, examples are hot air oven and incineration. Hot air oven is used to sterilize laboratory glassware, oils, waxes and powders. Dry heat sterilization takes a long time and thus, it is one of the major disadvantages.

Ionizing radiation is suitable to sterilize single-use medical devices while ethylene dioxide gas is suitable for heat-sensitive reprocessable items.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is used to disinfect air. But it has poor powers of penetration and thus, its use is limited.


Bacteria endospores are thermoduric, ie they can survive at 100 degree C exposure. Moist heat sterilization parameters are 121 degree C and 101kPa for 15 mins (for liquid) and 134 degree C and 203kPa for 3 mins (medical equipment and surgical linen).

Steam is ideal sterilant because it is rapid, efficient and non-toxic. It kills cells by denaturing their components resulting in the loss of function and death.

Biological indicators can be used to monitor sterilization process. Bacillus stearothermophilus spores can be used as "spore strip" in steam sterilization.

Autoclave process consists of 3 phases. Penetration time, holding time and cooling time.

Microbiology - Yeasts and Moulds

Mycology is the study of Fungi

Moulds
Filamentous fungi - also called as moulds, they are:
- multicellular
- lack of chlorophyll
- Hyphae present, may have septate
- Mats of vegetative hyphae + spores on aerial hyphae = mycelium

Asexual reproduction
- Fragmentation of septate hyphae = arthrospores
- In sac = sporangium
- naked in conidiophore = conidiospores

Sexual reproduction
- Zygomycota = zygospores
- Ascomycota = ascospores
- Basidiomycota = basidiospores

Yeast
- single-celled organism
- larger than bacterial cells
- produce asexually by budding or binary fission
- Sexually reproduce by thick-walled ascospores

Yeast and Moulds:
- Preferred temperature at 20-30 degree Celcius
- Prefer slightly acidic pH
- Grow slower than bacteria, 2-3 days for visible growth
- Saprophytes, break down complex to simple

Filamentous fungi
- Thick, powdery, spreading mat (may be white, or black)

Dimorphic
- Fungi that can form either filamentous or yeast form

Pseudophypae = Not true hyphae, single cells joined in chains

Penicillium notatum
- yellowish agar, fibrous, powdery, greenish black
Aspergillus niger
- Yellowish agar, black colony, powdery

The main purpose of slide culture technique is to observe appearance of fungi's intact vegetative and reproductive structures.

Fungi growth at 20-30 degree C, that is in the region of tropical area. This is because this area has high level of moisture, in which it promotes the growth of fungi.

The selective media, that is MEA; inhibits the growth of bacteria and promotes the growth of fungi because it is slightly acidic and contains high level of sugar.

Fungi have spores and hyphae, these reproduction structures are important for the identification of fungi.

Microbiology - Aseptic Technique

Different types of agar:
Nutrient Agar (NA) plate
- Suitable for the growth of almost all bacteria
Malt Extract Agar (MEA) plate
- Acidic, inhibit bacteria growth. Suitable to isolate yeast and moulds
Horse Blood Agar (HBA) plate
- Agar with blood added to it. Suitable for pathogenic bacteria growth. Can be used to identify hemolytic ability of certain bacteria
Tryptone Soy Agar (TSA) plate
- Contains enzymatic digest of casein and soybean. Should be for the growth of Staphylococcus aureus
Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) plate
- Selective and differential agar with the addition of mannitol and phenol red. S.aureus uses mannitol to produce acidic end product which turn the medium from pink to yellow. S.epidermidis and S.saprophyticus cannot use mannitol. The high salt concentration inhibits many other bacteria, this is the selective property. The mannitol is the differential property.

Other Test
Catalase test
- The use of H2O2 to test the presence of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria. If positive, oxygen gas is formed in the form of bubbles
Coagulase test
- The use of coagulase to detect S.aureus. If positive, clumping formed

Temperature plays an important role in the growth of bacteria. Incubation at 37 degree C promotes the growth of pathogenic bacteria or fungi. That is the normal body temperature.