Indole Test Lab Report

My partner and I were given unknown number 3 in the laboratory. After performing various tests over the course of a few weeks on our unknown, we came to the conclusion that our unknown organism is Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae). K. pneumoniae is a gram negative bacillus shaped microorganism. We observed that K. pneumoniae is a nonmotile organism. We performed multiple tests on our unknown culture, therefore we are very confident that it is correctly identified. We identified that K. pneumoniae is a facultative anaerobe. When inoculated onto an agar slant, K. pneumoniae took the shape of echinulate. When inoculated onto a nutrient agar plate, we identified that the growth of K. pneumoniae was round and smooth with a convex elevation.
pneumoniae does not produce proteases and cannot break down proteins via proteolysis. The fat hydrolysis test was performed to determine whether our bacteria produces lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fat. The fat hydrolysis test was positive, showing K. pneumoniae produces lipase and can break down fats. The indole test was performed to determine if our bacteria can break down tryptophan via the enzyme tryptophanase. Our indole test came back negative, meaning K. pneumoniae does not produce tryptophanase and does not break down tryptophan into indole, ammonia, and pyruvic acid. The urea test was performed to determine if urea is hydrolyzed via the enzyme urease. The urea test was positive, meaning K. pneumoniae produces urease to break down urea. An inoculation onto Kligler’s iron agar determines if an organism can ferment glucose and lactose, it also detects the production of hydrogen sulfide from the breakdown of cysteine. Our Kligler’s iron agar showed acid with gas production, meaning K. pneumoniae fermented both glucose and lactose. The hydrogen sulfide production was negative. A Litmus Milk test is done to determine whether the organism can ferment lactose, digest the milk proteins using proteases, cause the