Need help with bacteria project
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Kkgoldstar
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Need help with bacteria project
Hi. I am planning on doing my science project on which material is the most effective at stopping the spread of bacteria when sneezing. I am going to use different material like a tissue, napkin, handkerchief etc.. to cover a Petri dish with agar and try to replicate a sneeze with bacteria. Then I will let the bacteria grow and observe the results. My problem is I don't know which bacteria to use or how to make a simulated sneeze. I was thinking a spray bottle but what do I use for the liquid and how do I mix in the bacteria and how much do I use? Can anyone please help me with any of these questions?Thank you.
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brianali123
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Re: Need help with bacteria project
Hi!
I think this is an excellent science project idea. I’m happy to help!
I did a little researching online and I found that in the past, other students have used a nutrient broth with" Bacillus Substilis". This type of bacterium is usually found in soil and vegetation and are able to survive under harsh conditions. I would suggest you keep this broth contained for at least 48 hours in a container to allow it to grow and then pour it in a spray container like you suggested. I also found this link to creating the bacillus subtilis broth. It says:
1. Open vial according to the enclosed instructions.
2. Using a single tube of #3 broth (5 to 6 mL), withdraw approximately 0.5 to 1.0 mL with a Pasteur or 1.0 mL pipette. Rehydrate the entire pellet.
3. Aseptically transfer this aliquot back into the broth tube. Mix well.
4. Use several drops of the suspension to inoculate a second tube of broth, a slant, and/or plate.
5. Incubate the tubes and plate at 30°C for 24 to 48 hours.
If you look up bacillus subtilis atcc 11774 on Google, it should be the first link you find. I hope this was helpful! Good luck!
I think this is an excellent science project idea. I’m happy to help!
I did a little researching online and I found that in the past, other students have used a nutrient broth with" Bacillus Substilis". This type of bacterium is usually found in soil and vegetation and are able to survive under harsh conditions. I would suggest you keep this broth contained for at least 48 hours in a container to allow it to grow and then pour it in a spray container like you suggested. I also found this link to creating the bacillus subtilis broth. It says:
1. Open vial according to the enclosed instructions.
2. Using a single tube of #3 broth (5 to 6 mL), withdraw approximately 0.5 to 1.0 mL with a Pasteur or 1.0 mL pipette. Rehydrate the entire pellet.
3. Aseptically transfer this aliquot back into the broth tube. Mix well.
4. Use several drops of the suspension to inoculate a second tube of broth, a slant, and/or plate.
5. Incubate the tubes and plate at 30°C for 24 to 48 hours.
If you look up bacillus subtilis atcc 11774 on Google, it should be the first link you find. I hope this was helpful! Good luck!
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connief
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Re: Need help with bacteria project
Hi there,
Really cool project idea! I like how you thought to use a spray bottle to simulate a sneeze--that's pretty creative. You just need to make sure that you spray each plate covered with a tissue, napkin, hankerchief, etc. the same number of times with the same strength so that you can compare the results you obtain (i.e. the bacterial colonies that grow up) between each plate.
As the previous expert mentioned, Bacillus subtilis is a pretty good choice--it's safe to work with, but make sure you read up on Science Buddies' "Microorganisms Safety Guide" before you start working with any bacteria. The link is here: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... fety.shtml. E. coli is also another typical bacterium that many people use and is also safe to work with. You can obtain these bacteria by purchasing on ATCC as the previous expert mentioned, but you can also try out Carolina Biologicals (http://www.carolina.com/), which sells science products for use in the classroom! They have nutrient broth and agar plates available in which you can grow your bacteria, and they also have bacteria that you can purchase! I would contact them and tell them about your project, and they can give you suggestions as to which nutrient broth and bacteria to purchase. Prior to doing your experiment, I would make sure to have to bacteria grow in broth overnight before transferring that into a spray bottle to spray your plates.
Hope that helps! Let us know if you have more questions as you plan and do your experiments!
Good luck,
Connie
Really cool project idea! I like how you thought to use a spray bottle to simulate a sneeze--that's pretty creative. You just need to make sure that you spray each plate covered with a tissue, napkin, hankerchief, etc. the same number of times with the same strength so that you can compare the results you obtain (i.e. the bacterial colonies that grow up) between each plate.
As the previous expert mentioned, Bacillus subtilis is a pretty good choice--it's safe to work with, but make sure you read up on Science Buddies' "Microorganisms Safety Guide" before you start working with any bacteria. The link is here: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... fety.shtml. E. coli is also another typical bacterium that many people use and is also safe to work with. You can obtain these bacteria by purchasing on ATCC as the previous expert mentioned, but you can also try out Carolina Biologicals (http://www.carolina.com/), which sells science products for use in the classroom! They have nutrient broth and agar plates available in which you can grow your bacteria, and they also have bacteria that you can purchase! I would contact them and tell them about your project, and they can give you suggestions as to which nutrient broth and bacteria to purchase. Prior to doing your experiment, I would make sure to have to bacteria grow in broth overnight before transferring that into a spray bottle to spray your plates.
Hope that helps! Let us know if you have more questions as you plan and do your experiments!
Good luck,
Connie