Week 2 Unknown Bacteria

To begin my first day here at the S-STEM internship I will begin research in regards to how to identify bacteria. From my knowledge of bacteria I know Gram Staining can be an effective form of identifying Gram Positive and Gram Negative bacteria. Also I understand that some bacteria have a "wax" like outer layer that would prove Gram Staining to be ineffective in the process of identifying the bacteria type. Therefore when Gram Staining proves ineffective another process of identification can be Ziehl-Neelsen Staining. This staining process proves effective only when identifying Mycobacteria in general. Ziehl-Neelsen Staining cannot provide specific identification of species within Mycobacteria, but can prove that the bacteria being tested are Mycobacteria. I understand the general concepts of the staining processes but have never attempted them nor do I know the specific process in which they are performed. My goal is to research the specific process for these staining methods and attempting them on unknown bacteria to better understand how the staining looks when performed. Once I have completed this, my following goal would be to research a way to differentiate between 2 different types of a bacteria genus. I also look forward to sharing my results and comparing with other interns our processes and findings in order to understand maybe other ways I can accomplish the same task or a more effective way or obtaining the same result. Also I would like to find a way to identify the sample without compromising it so I can conduct further testing with one sample.