Characterization of environmental bacteria isolated from different surfaces at the Faculty of Dentistry in UiTM Sungai Buloh / Wan Nor Athirah Wan Adnan

The environmental bacteria are known as the microorganisms that are able to survive in the outside environment with few of them (10%) are disease-causing while the other 90% are non-pathogenic. In dental healthcare settings, inanimate surfaces are highly found to be contaminated with these environmental bacteria, thus, causing bacterial contamination and subsequently source of infections to the people. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the morphology of bacteria isolated from different surfaces and to determine the bacterial species by sequence analysis of 16S rDNA. Bacteria samples were collected at the air conditioning units, walls, and windows in 6 various sampling rooms at the Faculty of Dentistry in UiTM Sungai Buloh by using sterile cotton swabs. The macromorphology of the isolates was identified on nutrient agar and the micromorphology was identified by Gram staining. Species identification was performed using PCR with universal 16S rDNA primers and was sent for sequencing. The sequence data obtained were then compared to BLAST software, according to a 98% minimum identity. In this study, 11 bacteria samples were successfully isolated. The bacterial genus identified for Isolate 1, Isolate 2, Isolate 3, Isolate 4, Isolate 5, Isolate 6, Isolate 7, Isolate 8, Isolate 9, Isolate 10 and Isolate 11 were Bacillus cereus (100%), Staphylococcus cohnii (100%), Kocuria palustris (100%), Bacillus cereus (100%), Bacillus thuringiensis (100%), Staphylococcus cohnii (100%), Bacillus cereus (100%), Bacillus subtilis (100%), Staphylococcus cohnii (100%), Staphylococcus hominis (100%), Staphylococcus cohnii (100%) respectively. In conclusion, combination of macromorphology, micromorphology and molecular approach is useful for characterization of environmental bacteria.