MICROBIOLOGY ASSIGNMENTS (ERT 103)
OBJECTIVE:
To enhance the further understanding the concepts of the origin, rise, and development of the
discipline of microbiology with respect to its history, different theories coined by scientists,
and features of the microbial world.
HOW ASSIGNED:
•
The students are to form a group of four students per group
•
Each group will randomly select and answer one assignment question
MARKS ALLOCATION:
•
The written answer to the question should be about 500 words making sure that is no
plagiarism of text from internet or textbook. Students will be penalised for such
activity, as they will lose marks.
•
To avoid plagiarism, the students are encouraged to translate the information from
internet or textbook in their own words while citing the source of reference
•
The answer could be divided into:
Introduction
(20marks);
Contents
(50 marks);
Conclusion
(5 marks);
References at least 5
(5 marks);
Oral presentation [10-15 min] consisting of about 10 ppt slides (20 marks)
TOTAL: 100
TOPICS SELECTED
1. What do you think are the the 5 most important research areas to pursue in
microbiology. Give reasons for your choice.
Students involved:
Goh Zhen joon, Kelly Liew, Lai moon Ting, Loh Pei Chen, &Yap Phooi Fung.
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to highlight the roles of microbes in any 5 of the following
industries:
 food, e.g. yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae, Lactobacilus)
 industrial bioprocess ,industrial fermentation (Aspergillus, yeast)
 environment, e.g. photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs
 pharmaceutical, e.g. Streptomyces, Bacillus, Penicillium

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medical industries, e.g. Escherichia coli
agricultural, e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis
biological warfare, e.g. anthrax bacterium
biosensors (microbial enzymes combined with electronics) for detecting
pollution and bioterrorism
2. Describe Pasteur’s work on microbial fermentations
Students involved:
Nor Hidayah, Solihah Abdullah, Hamilah Md. Ghani, Norfadhila Abdullah Zawawi
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to give a brief historical review of the work of Pasteur
focussing on:
 his concept of ‘germ theory’
 his concept of pasteurization to prevent beverage contamination
 his broth experiment using S-shaped flasks
 elaboration of steps in fermentation using grape use to produce alcohol.
3. Discuss the contributions of Lister, Pasteur, and Koch to ‘germ theory of disease’ and
to the prevention of diseases
Students involved:
Tham Chee Fai, Ang Ze Siang
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected:
 To explain ‘germ theory of disease’
 Lister’s contribution – organism is the cause of disease, antiseptic medical
techniques
 Pasteur – anti-spontaneous generation experiments with S-flasks, discovered
vacine for rabies, fermentation
 Koch – Koch’s posthulates for pathogenecity of microbes
4. Describe Koch’s postulates. What is a pure culture? Why are pure cultures important
to Koch’s postulates
Students involved:
Nor Saheila, Ernie Faridah, Nurul Afidah, Nurul Syuhada
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected:
 To write a brief bibliography of Koch
 To list Koch’s posthulates
 Define pure culture (population of cells devoid of other microbial
contamination)
 Write the importance of the posthulates (to establish the relationship between
microbes and diseases
5. What are Koch’s postulates? Why are they important?
Students involved:
Randy Ramli, Nur Farizah, Nadia Anwar, Nor Hidayah Bohari
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to write:
 A brief historical review of Koch’s work, with refernce to germ theory and
anthrax bacterium
 List his posthulates
 The posthulates contributed to the field of etiology and epidemiology and the
verification of a clinical disease.
6. Describe Scientific method in your own words. Why is it important to have a control
group?
Students involved:
Ooi Ah Chiaw, Ng Wen Jia, Suganthi, Sarojini
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to write:
 What contributed to the discovery of the method
 Define scientific method (asking question, hypothesis, testing hypothesis by
conducting experiments, accepting or rejecting the hypothesis)
 Define control group (a baseline measure to explain alternative variations in
experimental results)
7. How did Pasteur and Tyndall finally settle the ‘spontaneous generation’ controversy?
Students involved:
Adilah Che Sulaiman, Nor Munirah, Nur Idrin, NurFatimah Mohd. Thani, Siti Nur
Amirah Idris
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected:
 To define the theory
 Pastuer’s germ theory and ‘swan-necked’ flask experiment
 Tyndall’s experiment of arrangement of sealed flasks of boiled infusion in
airtight boxes and exposed to dust particles
8. Describe and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Students involved:
Muhd. Hazriq, Muhd. Najib, Mohd. Rozami, Mohd. Redzuan, Ronny Ling.
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to briefly define prokaryotes and eukaryotes and
differentiate them from the aspects of:
 habitat,
 morphology and cell structure,
 genetic tructure,
 mode of food intake, locomotion, and reproduction
9. Summarise the ‘Golden Age of microbiology’
Students involved:
Bidatul Syirat bt Zainal, Salida Muhd Baharum, Nor Hanim, Zarina Zawawi
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected:
 To state the period – (1857- 1914)
 Pasteur (1822-1895) – germ theory, pasteurization, fermentation, industrial
microbiology, food and beverage technolgy
 Buchner (1860-1917) – microbial metabolism, genetics, genetic engineering
 Koch (1843-1910) – Koch’s posthulates, etiology
 Ivanowski (1864-1920) – virology
 Beijerinck (1851-1931) – environmental microbiology
 Gram ( 1853-1938) – microbial morphology
 Nightingale (1820-1910) – antiseptic medical techniques, hospital
micrpbiology
 Jenner (1749-1823) – serology, immunology
 Ehrlich (1854-1915) – chemotherapy (magic bullet)
 Flemming (1881-1955) – pharmaceutical microbiology
10. What is a virus?
Students involved:
Nurul Nadia, Nor Adila, Suraya Tajuddin, Siti Faeeza.
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected:
 to give the definition of virus;
 its composition;
 its mode of infection and replication;
 and any use in industry.
11. How would you classify microorganisms?
Students involved:
Mohd. Hanafi, Mohd. Zakwan, Muhd. Syafiq, Raja Muhd. Farid
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to discuss briefly on the following:
 Types of classification – natural, phenetic, phylogenetic, genotypic,
 numerical computerized taxanomy considering
a) Microscopy
b) Staining
c) Growth and metabolism
d) Pathogenecity
e) Immunity
f) Genetics
g) Industrial benefit
h) Pollutants
12. Defend this statement: “The investigations of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek changed the
world forever”
Students involved:
Raja Ahmad Izzat, Zulfadli, Safwan Sulaiman, Adib Zubaidi
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected to write:
 A brief biodata of van Leeuwenhoek and his interests
 His interest in simple microscope and observation of tiny organisms
 His contribution to microbiology, plant anatomy and zoology
 His opposition to the theory of spontaneous generation [living things arising
from non-living matter].
13. Discuss briefly about the procedure and significance of Gram’s stain.
Students involved:
Abdul Malek, Izzat Shaharuddin, Mohd Amir Idhzuan Johari
Guide lines to answer the assignment:
The students are expected:
 To define what is gram stain
 Brief account of the scientist who introduced the technique
 Steps in involved: smear preparation and staining with crystal violet for 1min.
(primary stainn colouring most cells); flooding smear with iodine (a mordant
that binds the dye) for 1min. and rinsing with water; rinsing the smear with
ethanol and acetone (decolourizing agents) for 10-30sec; flooding smear with
safranin (a counterstain to contrast the color of the primary stain)
 Result of stain: purple color- gram positive (bacteria with thick walls);
colorless – gram negative bacteria.
 Significance – for identification of bacteria.