On September first in Mr. Chugh's Biotechnology class we will be doing a lab where we will make yogurt. In this lab we will be exploring the possibilities, along with various other objectives, that there are some types of bacteria that are good for us, unlike the common accusations of all bacteria being harmful. Bacteria are prokaryotes, meaning single-celled organisms, that are found everywhere, but only with the help of a microscope. A common presumption of people is that all bacteria is bad for us and causes diseases, but in reality there are a lot of species of bacteria that are helpful. An example is a commonly misunderstood bacteria called E.coli, it is normally presumed that E.coli is the cause of disease, but in reality we need this bacteria, because it is used to break down sugars in our bodies. In the United States it is necessary that yogurt has bacteria called Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in order for it to be classified as yogurt.
In order to further our understanding about bacteria, we will be testing a German scientist named Koch's postulates, to do this we will be studying pathogens by seperating them from a substance the pathogen has already infected, then we will use the same pathogen to infect other substances and then compare our new results to the originals. Our results will tell us whether or not the bacteria we are using causes a particular disease, or in this case we will be finding out whether we can recreate our yogurt identically both times we do the experiment. In the lab, we will be creating yogurt by scalding milk, bringing it to 80 degrees celsius, then we will allow the milk to cool off and we will add "yogurt bacteria" and mix. When we return to class the next day, the bacteria will hopefully have done its job by soldifying the milk and creating a solid, creamy solution. Yogurt! This lab gives us the opportunity to become comfortable and familiarise ourselves with the happenings of this class, and proper technique while doing a lab.
