Discussion

Due to a lack of time, the original enrichment used to isolate the specific Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain failed. However, we were able to isolate Pseudomonas using the originally proposed enrichment procedure. The prepared Pseudomonas Isolation Agar successfully isolated Pseudomonas from other bacterial species found in the soil. This process worked due to our persistent effort to continue plating streaked organisms on additional isolation agar.

Our initial goal was to isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therefore, we prepared isolation agar to isolate the Pseudomonas and gathered TSA plates to discern the distinct blue-green pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Due to the aforementioned time constraints, we were unable to isolate Pseudomonas in a timely enough fashion to discern the necessary blue-green pigment of aeruginosa on TSA plates. However, the prepared isolation agar accomplished its goal of isolating Pseudomonas. This fact was discerned by positive results from colony morphology, the oxidase test, and the gram-stain. Pseudomonas is a gram-negative rod shaped organism. This genre of organism was discovered through a gram-stain after the original organisms from the initial soil sample had been plated three times on Pseudomonas Isolation Agar.

Although our initial goal of isolating Pseudomonas aeruginosa failed, we were able to isolate various organisms of Pseudomonas. The downfall of our planned methodology was time. However, the idea of using our specific isolation agar was positive in that it did eventually isolate Pseudomonas from the soil. The tests that were used, particularly gram-stain and oxidase, are also successful in recognizing isolated Pseudomonas colonies.