Mutation and Selection: An Exploration of Antibiotic Resistance in Serratia marcescens

 

Laurel L. Hester, Mark A. Sarvary, & Corey J. Ptak

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2014, Volume 35

Abstract

This laboratory module gives students hands-on experience with mutation and selection in bacteria. An initial classwide project prepares students to design separate group projects. During the first two weeks students observe de novo streptomycin-resistance mutations in Serratia marcescens and compare classwide mutation patterns with those found in Luria and Delbruck’s classical experiment showing that mutations are spontaneous rather than induced. In the second and third weeks students design and implement their own experiments related to antibiotic resistance. Topics such as bacterial growth, use of controls, serial dilutions, sterile technique and the difference between mutation rate and mutation frequency are addressed.

Keywords:  selection, mutation, Serratia marcescens, inquiry-based experiment, antibiotic resistance

University of Calgary (2013)