Tag: Bacterial identification

Introduced in 1904 by Dutch professor Christiaan Eijkman, the Eijkman test was a pioneering method designed to detect harmful fecal contamination in water supplies. This differential test, which relies on temperature-sensitive bacterial growth, provided a significant advancement over earlier, less specific methods for evaluating water safety.

The ability of microorganisms to produce enzymes is a fundamental trait used in microbiology labs for identification purposes. The starch agar test for amylase is one such method, designed to determine if bacteria can produce the extracellular enzyme amylase, which breaks down starch.

The ability to ferment specific carbohydrates is a key characteristic used to classify and differentiate bacteria. Recognizing what does a positive carbohydrate fermentation test look like is a fundamental skill for microbiology students and laboratory technicians, relying on clear visual cues after incubation.