Laboratory overview

The Microbiology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory at United International University is a specialized facility for the in-depth study of microorganisms and the manipulation of genetic material for research, industrial application and commercialization.

In the microbiology section, the laboratory is focused on the isolation, culturing, and characterization of microorganisms through various assays. This lab is also dedicated to assessing antibiotic resistance, discovering novel antibiotics, and investigating microbial pathogenicity to elucidate the mechanisms by which microbes cause diseases.

In the Genetic Engineering section, the lab emphasizes the genetic modification of microorganisms for diverse applications, including food production, agriculture, bioremediation, and the biosynthesis of industrial products such as enzymes, biopharmaceuticals, biofuels and so on.

With these diverse research pursuits, the laboratory is equipped with advanced equipment such as autoclave machine, incubator, colony counter, optical microscope, shaker, water bath, vacuum pump etc. These equipment facilitate precise experimentation and innovation in both microbiology and genetic engineering.

Laminar Air Flow Cabinet

Laminar Airflow Cabinet is an enclosed workstation that uses advanced High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration to remove contaminated airborne particles from the workstation and provide a consistent flow of purified air over the samples. This allows us to culture microbes or manipulate cellular genetic materials in a clean and sterile environment.

Incubator

Incubator can maintain optimal physiological conditions (e.g. temperature and humidity) for growing and culturing microorganisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi etc.

Optical Microscope

Optical Microscope uses visible light and a series of lenses to magnify the images of biological samples such as bacteria, cells, etc. and enables us to visualize them in high resolution. It is a critical tool for observing microbial morphology, sub-cellular structures etc. and monitoring any changes in these structures.

Laboratory shaker

Laboratory shaker are used to mix, agitate, or process samples within a variety of vessels, such as flasks, tubes, plates, and trays. This ensures optimal aeration and mixing, which are crucial for the growth of microorganisms, the production of enzymes, proteins and other biomaterials. The adjustable speed and temperature settings allow precise control over experimental conditions.

Colony Counter

Colony Counter can count bacterial colonies on agar plates. This facilitates precise microbial quantification, growth and proliferation analysis. It also allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of various antimicrobial agents discovered in our laboratory.

Water Bath

Water Bath is used to maintaining stable temperatures required for a variety of experiments, including enzymatic reactions, microbial culture incubation, and DNA denaturation or hybridization. Its precise temperature control and uniform heat distribution make it indispensable for achieving reliable results.

Vacuum Pump

Vacuum Pump is used for aspirating cell culture media. It facilitates the safe and efficient removal of spent media, helping to maintain sterility and prevent contamination during cell culture experiments. This is particularly important for genetic engineering studies involving mammalian or microbial cells, where precise handling and aseptic conditions are critical.

Fridge

Fridge is used for proper preservation of reagents, media and microbial cultures that require cold temperature to maintain their activity and stability.  In genetic engineering applications, the fridge is crucial for preserving DNA, RNA, and protein samples, as well as maintaining plasmids, vectors, enzymes, media and reagents in controlled temperature to prevent their degradation.

Drying oven

Drying oven is a heated chamber used to remove water, moisture, and other solvents from objects. These ovens typically have a fan or turbine which sparks the convection process that heats and dries the materials inside. the walls with stainless steel with maximize thermal efficiency and hot air circulation effectively sterilizes laboratory glassware, instruments and samples.

Microwave oven

Microwave oven used in microbiology laboratory for media preparation, warm up and sterilization. Using the microwave method, liquid media were also analyzed. All media sterilized in the microwave oven performed in the same way as the media sterilized in the autoclave for all micro-organisms tested.

Autoclave Machine

Autoclave Machine uses high-pressure steam to effectively eliminate all forms of microbes from laboratory equipment, glassware, reagents, culture media, and biohazardous waste. It ensures a contamination-free condition for experiments and upholds laboratory safety through the proper disposal of biohazards.

At UIU, our Microbiology and Genetic Engineering Lab is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to providing students hands-on experience in essential microbiological and genetic engineering techniques. This lab provides researchers with the opportunity to engage in advanced scientific experiments using specialized equipment and resources.