Microbiology and Immunology

Hi, Friend of mine went regulary, each year, to gynecologist. Doctor everytime for years said to her she is perfectly healthy. She have one partner for about 9 years. Then one day doctor said to her she have HPV. Doctor also said to not panic that many women get it and live normal life and often that organism heal from hpv on its own. My friend and I talked and she is sure that she didnt get from her partner becuase she is his first sexual partner. My friend have had sexual partners before marriage. Anyway what is mystery to us, how she could get it if for last cca 10 years doctor said she is healthy, she didnt cheated her husband, neither he cheated her... Is …

When the medical practitioner puts that little sensor on your finger and tells you your oxygen level in a percentage, say 98%, what are they using as the 100% level? How does this tool know how much oxygen can fit into a particular persons blood? If you get 98% on a test, you know what the 100% meant. None of the medical people I have asked have been able to answer that question. Just curious.

How do non-sporulating bacteris reproduce? Especially the intestinal coliform bacteria.....

Hi! We are a study group on our second year of medical laboratory science, and our immunology exam is coming up. There is some confusion though. When C1q binds the antibody, C1r is activated and then cleaved and activates C1s. Then C1s will cleave C4 and C2. C4b and C2a will then bind to the pathogen and the antibody, and then C4b2a is formed. Now, the question is: Is C3b2a a C3-convertase or a C3/C5-convertase? Our textbook says C3/C5-convertase, but I've been studying a bit on the Internet as well, and there I've read that it's a C3-convertase. What is correct? Doesn't C3b2a turn into C3/C5-convertase when it binds another C3b and becomes C3b2a3b-complex? Our …

Hello all, I need help interpreting some observations we have made in our lab from gram stains taken of human lymphocyte cell products that are part of an immunotherapy clinical trial. In our lab we use the gram stain as a quick QC check of the samples before they are to be infused. If any bacterial cells (e.g. GNR or GPC) are observed, the material is rejected. I'm attaching some pics are reference. The first is what we normally observe (homogenous in color with apparent decolorization of crystal violet stain). However, recently we've been observing some darker cells amongst what we normally seen. In some cases, only a portion of the interior of the cells seems t…

Hi, I'm sorry if this isn't the best place to post, but I saw a similar topic on here and wanted to see if someone might have any idea what's going on. Last Friday I felt sick. I can't remember if I had sulfur burps then (I think I did) but I know I felt nauseous and had watery diarrhea. I ended up throwing up. I still had diarrhea afterwards, and I threw up again before finally managing to fall asleep for a nap. I had eaten roast beef the night before and noticed rice in my vomit. I had not actually eaten anything on the day I threw up, I had only eaten the night before and it was during the afternoon when this happened. Fast forward to this Sunday. I woke u…

Hi all D value graphs have just been covered in my microbiology class, although I do not fully understand how the D value is worked out. Could someone please explain this? The lines drawn connecting X and Y are not usually drawn for us therefore I need this explained also. Do the points on the Y axis always have to be one after the other? I have attached the kind of graph we have been given to then work out the D value from. Thanks

I am attempting to prepare a spore suspension of Bacillus subtilis but am not having any luck geting rid of the vegetative cells... I have heat shocked at 70C for 15 minutes and centrifuged that heat shocked suspension at 5000rpm for 10 minutes twice in attempts to get rid of the vegetative cells but upon the confirmatory spore stain, several rods are still present (nearly as many as the control stain which was taken from the pre-heat shocked suspension). I have searched high and low for a little more guidance as how one separated vegetative cells from spores but haven't come across anything yet... any help would be greatly appreciated!

Have a modest background in molecular biology and presently considering a project that requires some knowledge of botany. Specifically, I seek details on the epiphytic relation between the microbe pseudomonas fluorescens and flowering plants such as the orchid and rose. What would be the relationship? Commensalism or Mutualism? What is the nutrient source for Pseudomas? Life Span? What becomes of the metabolic end products from Pseudomonas? Does the plant alter its surface properties to accommodate Pseudomonas? Much thanks for any guidance in this regard as I await reply. I close \\ Respectfully

With the recent influx of illegal aliens, (via the president), and those with ebola and other fatal diseases, is it just over-hype and media scare with the looming possibility of ebola spreading across the country? -I say this b/c ebola is only passed via contact with contaminated feces, and/or ingestion of contaminated bodily fluids..it's not as if it were airborne or transferred via respiratory droplets. your thought... ~ee

Hi all, I am new in the field of epidemiology and microbiology. Could someone explain to me the difference between an endemic and epidemic plasmids and which are the medical implications do they involve? Thank you very much. Silvia

I have started searching for phages that infect S. pyogenes. My group and I have had a few failed attempts first we tried finding the lytic phages in soil it became apparent to me that was a very amatuer idea since strep isn't really a soil bacteria. Then we went on to try and find them in our mouths, we had plenty of S. pyogenes growth but no phages. I looked up some articles on strep phages and I discovered that the environment in the mouth is a horrible environment for lytic phages. I have now come to this forum hoping that I can find a virologist or someone that can help point me in the direction of finding these elusive phages.

Hi everybody! I recently heard from an assistant at the university that the affinity of built antibodies is dependent on the concentration of the presented antigen. So that it is possible if you treat for example a mouse with three different doses of an antigen that the mouse build more antibodies under the small dose than under the other... I just wanted to look in the literature for some hints to this subject, unfortunately, I don't know the correct scientific expression for this phenomenon. Maybe someone of you could help me? Thanks very much!

Hello. I am building an aquaponics system, and I would like to try out peeponics first to start the nitrogen cycle without fish for now. I have read a few websites such as: https://sites.google.com/site/aquapanaponics/4-project-updates/pee-ponicsphplanting http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-build-a-4-x4-ebb-flow-bioponics-peeponics-system?id=4778851%3ABlogPost%3A417362&page=1#comments http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/pee-ponics Specially from the latter, I understand that its a matter of storing my urine for a month and then the ammonia-ammonium readings should start peaking. I'm using an API Test Kit to detect pH and …

Dear Members, I just happened to come across these pink coloured colonies on some left over yoghurt and would like to know if someone can help me to identify it. About the colonies. I had some left over yoghurt in the fridge for a few weeks. I noticed a large number of 'Pink coloured' colonies on the surface of the yoghurt and on the sides of the container. The colonies are smooth and round and pink in colour. I have seen Serratia colonies before, but this one seems different and very interesting. I have attached a photo of the same. Could someone guess what this organism could be. I would also be grateful if you could direct me to someone who would be wil…

Purple spores: Microscope: Orange spores: Microscope: http://i.imgur.com/drE0Hpu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/28xRuY2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/SmjpG2x.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1RiiD8Q.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Gyd3sZp.jpg http://i.imgur.com/LazORYC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/tZD68Yx.jpg

I need help with my thesis. Is there anyone here who studied EHEC in their school who happens to isolate it using Sorbitol MacConkey Agar? I am currently doing this study..

Hi everybody, I'm new to this forum: I'm a biology student from Switzerland and i would really appreciate if someone could help me with this question. I've tried to answer it, and it would be very kind if someone could tell me if it is right or if there could be a better answer. Thanks you in advance Here is the question: Which cells among the list below are affected (would not develop to the stage of mature cells or will present a flaw in one of their functions) by an inactivating mutation in the gene encoding the TAP Transporter (Transporter associated with antigen processing). Start by describing which effect will be this mutation produce and justify your answers. …

Hi All, Wondering if anyone has experience using multi-array mouse chemokine/ cytokine panels to screen innate immune analytes on qPCR and Luminex (protein) platforms? There are a few different commercial products out there and I'm looking for recommendations. I want to use to characterise early innate immune changes in mice with viral infections and want a "broad picture" of what's happening in lung and brain tissues, so I am after something that will simultaneously screen for a large number of analytes. Thanks!

Working on finding out an unknown bacteria for my Micro class. I'm pretty sure I remember seeing a growth with green metallic sheen on my EMB plate the week after preparing the plate. Weeks later and going over my stuff for the last time, the growth turned to a dark purple. Could this be possible? If so, I can go ahead with my guess being E. Coli and chalking up the color change to the plate being left in the fridge for way too long. Here are my unknown test results. PRS: Positive for fermentation (acid) + gas PRL: Positive for fermentation (acid) + gas PRG: Positive for fermentation (acid) + gas Citrate: Negative (was a green color) MR: Positive (all …

I'm doing research on the products of bacterial metabolism on human sewage. I can find plenty of articles on the specific bacteria that are used to breakdown human sewage, but nothing on the specific products, particularly the gaseous products of this bacterial metabolism. If you know any journals, articles that have such info could you please be kind and post it or msg me! Thx! ~EE

Hi everyone, thanks for reading! I have a 2-month old son and we're planning a trip to Russia in summer to visit some extended family members. Here in Victoria, Aus tuberculosis is all but nonexistent so much that our GP went into stupor for some 5 minutes when I tried to explain that we need to get a TB vaccination for our son. Now I have vaccination scheduled for the 2nd of June, but some of the things doctors told me are in conflict with what I read before, so I would greatly appreciate it if someone with knowledge in immunology could help answer those: 1) Our trip is scheduled for the end of July and with the immunization on 2nd of June is this enough time…

Hi....I am working on an assignment to try to understand the volumes of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in the U.S.. My question revolves around the differences in incidence data (from the CDC) and publicly available antibiogram data from community/academic research hospitals. Let's use Staph. Aureus/MRSA as an example. The CDC states that there are ~70,000 invasive MRSA infections in the U.S. (http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/tracking/). Additionally, it is estimated that MRSA comprises 50-60% of all SA infections (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/14/363); thus, if you have ~70,000 invasive MRSA cases, you also have an additional ~60,000 SA infections, leadin…

Hello, there are major gaps in my understanding of immunology and I'd really need to find the right answers. Text book knowledge surely covers these questions, but once I started getting confused the text books were no use anymore. I'd really appreciate it if some of you would be so kind to answer the following questions: Antigen specificity: an almost infinite number of possible antigens can be bound by T cell receptors. Is it possible though that a bacteria/virus doesn't get recognized because it's specific antigen-binding T cell receptor is not expressed? Memory T cells: how many are there of one kind? When a T cell is activated clonal expansion occurs. A…

Hi I've been trying to perform a gram stain of some liquid bacterial cultures but when I look at the slides under a microscope there is nothing there. It seems to be the iodine that's washing away the smear but I can't be sure. Can anyone help?