Into the Lab

When you slip into the room, the man is slumped against a table, his head in his hands. But somehow he senses your presence and stands up. You marvel again at how big he is.

"I need to use the equipment," you say to him. "Stay right there."

As you step over to the lab table, you hear the man step close behind you. Breath gurgles in his throat. There is a steady dripping sound.

"So far so good," Fran calls from the doorway.

Fran walks you through the steps of Gram staining. First you take a sample of Evil Milk A, and add crystal violet to stain the cells. Then you add iodine, which fixes the purple stain in some types of bacteria.

Next you wash everything in alcohol, which decolorizes the non-fixed bacteria. Finally you add a red counterstain, and prepare the sample for viewing. All the while the man stands quietly behind you, as if mesmerized.

Continue with the mystery

An Access Excellence Science Mystery sponsored by Genentech, Inc.