A microbiologist suspects a strain of Staphylococcus aureus is resistant to methicillin.What would be the best approach to test this suspicion?
A)Perform a Gram stain.
B)Sequence the chromosome looking for resistance genes.
C)Calculate the doubling time for the bacteria.
D)Inject the bacteria into a host animal and look for disease symptoms.
E)Add methicillin to the growth plates.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adding methicillin to growth plates is the best approach to test the suspicion of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. If the bacteria are resistant, growth will be observed whereas if they are susceptible, no growth will be seen. This method is easy, relatively quick, and can be performed in a routine microbiology lab. The other options, such as Gram stain, chromosome sequencing, calculating doubling time or injecting the bacteria into an animal, are not specific for determining methicillin resistance.

A Microbiologist Suspects a Strain of Staphylococcus Aureus Is Resistant