Maths, STEM and Science

VET Lab Skills Excursion

On the 6th of February 2020, the Year 12 VCE VET Lab Skills class attended an Aseptic Techniques Workshop run by KIOSC at Swinburne University, Wantirna. The workshop was aimed to assist us in the preparation for our first formal assessment for the year. We completed programs that consisted of culturing bacteria, inoculating nutrient broth, streak plate techniques and learning about growth characteristics.

We began by learning about aseptic principles and participated in practical tutorials. We were taught how to set up and maintain clean work benches, we were introduced to different culture medias, types of contamination and aseptic transfer of bacteria to cultured media and nutrient broth etc.

After lunch, we performed microscopic examinations. Lin our instructor taught us how to maintain and use a compound microscope, prepare a wet mount of yeast, stain and count yeast cells by using a haemocytometer. From the workshop, we have brought back the Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria streak plates that we made, which were required to be incubated, ready to be examined under a microscope.

As Lab Skills students, we attained new found knowledge which could be applied in the laboratory, and we are so grateful to have been given this opportunity.

Hang Thu Nguyen, Mandy Quach, Cyndi Nguyen

Lab Skills Students