1. Are the objective and introduction written in an engaging way? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 2. Is the difficulty level accurate? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 3. Were the materials easily obtained? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 4. Was the procedure clear? Yes No      If 'No' please explain. characters left 5. Were all safety measures included? Yes No      If 'No' please explain. characters left 6. Did you obtain clear, unambiguous results? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 7. How much time did you spend on the project? Choose One... A day or less Several days About one week A couple weeks Several weeks to months 8. How much did the project cost? Choose One... Less than $20 $20 - $50 $50 - $100 $100 - $150 $150+ Optional:  Do you have any suggestions to improve this project? characters left Optional:  Attach a picture of your project (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG only) Optional:  Caption for picture characters left Thank you for your feedback! * Note: This is an abbreviated project idea, without notes to start your background research or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated project ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a project idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk. Abstract Antibiotics work by destabilizing the metabolism or cellular structure of bacteria, preventing growth, and causing bacteria to die. Some strains of bacteria have mutated and found a way to resist the actions of antibiotics. These are called resistant strains because they resist the actions of available antibiotic treatments. There are many different types of antibiotics that are continually being developed to combat new strains of resistant bacteria. Some antibiotics work better on different bacterial strains than others. Compare the action of different antibiotics on different strains of bacteria. Which type of antibiotic works the best against each strain? Which ones are the most cosmopolitan, and work on the most different strains of bacteria? Can you use genomic techniques and bioinformatics to predict which antibiotics will work best on each bacterial species or strain? (NCBI, 2006; Brown, 2002) Bibliography Brown, J. (2002). What the Heck is Antibiotic Resistance? Retrieved May 1, 2006, from the University of Kansas, Dept. of Molecular Biosciences website: http://www.people.ku.edu/~jbrown/resistance.htm National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2006). Retrieved May 1, 2006, from http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/ Shop for Supplies at Science Buddies Online Store Science Buddies has compiled some suggestions for harder to find items in our Amazon store. The store does not include every item for every project, but it does include items that we feel work for the projects on our website. If you have comments or would like us to add items to the store, please contact us at scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org. Variations For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Medical Biotechnology Project Ideas. Last edit date: 2011-10-26 12:00:00

I Did This Project! Tell us about your experience with this science project. What was the most important thing you learned? characters left What problems did you encounter? (Enter "none" if you had none.) characters left Can you suggest any improvements or ideas? (Enter "no" if you have none.) characters left How do you rate this project? Poor OK Good Very Good Excellent Optional:  Attach a picture of your project (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG only) Optional:  Caption for picture characters left Thank you for your feedback! Related Links Science Fair Project Guide Project Summary Difficulty  8  –  9  Time required Long (a couple of weeks) Prerequisites This project requires access to bacteria and antibiotics in a laboratory setting. A basic knowledge of how to work with bacteria is needed to complete this science fair project. Consult the Microbiology Techniques and Troubleshooting guide for information on how to conduct microbiology experiments. Material Availability Specialty items must be ordered through a school or research laboratory. Cost High ($100 - $150) Safety Requires adult supervision in a laboratory setting. Use sterile technique. Read the Microorganisms Safety Guide before starting any experiments. SRC approval may be necessary. Share this Project Idea! Donate to Science Buddies Sponsor Sponsored by a generous grant from Amgen Foundation Amgen supports Free Biotechnology Resources for Students & Teachers www.teachersdomain.org/special/biot/

Career Focus

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring related careers.

	Microbiologist Microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, algae, and fungi) are the most common life-forms on Earth. They help us digest nutrients; make foods like yogurt, bread, and olives; and create antibiotics. Some microbes also cause diseases. Microbiologists study the growth, structure, development, and general characteristics of microorganisms to promote health, industry, and a basic understanding of cellular functions.			Pharmacist Pharmacists are the medication experts. They advise doctors, nurses, and patients on the correct drug dosage for a patient's weight, age, health, and gender; on interactions between drugs; on side effects; on drug alternatives; on costs; and on ways to give drugs. They also dispense drugs at pharmacies, according to prescriptions, checking for dangerous drug interactions, and educating patients on how to take drugs, what reactions to watch out for, and how long it should take for drugs to work.

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