Hello All,
I would like to do a microbiology project where I test the effectiveness of several herbal extracts using the Kirby-Bauer method on one of the following bacteria strains:
Acinetobacter baumannii,
Escherichia coli
Klebsiella pneumoniae bearing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)
vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
vancomycin-resistant MRSA
extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis
I have no previous experience in microbiology, and do not have access to any lab other than the one in my school. I have several questions. How would I obtain any of the above bacteria? I have read that there is a much weaker K-12 strain of e.coli, but I would like to do a project that had real-world significance. Is it alright to do the Kirby-Bauer method in a school lab? I have read several descriptions of the method and they are all different. How exactly would you describe the method? Do I need a teacher who is well-versed in microbiology to supervise me?
Thanks, and sorry for the long post