Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi!
Just as the subject says, I am planning on doing an experiment using the bacteria E. coli. However, I need help on where I can get the bacteria. I have searched online, but I am not sure whether or not I can trust the websites. Are there any places or online websites where I can safely acquire the bacteria?

Hi Dahae,

I've actually performed a project myself involving E. coli. Unless you're working in a laboratory or other safe area to work, I recommend using a "safe," non-pathogenic version of E. coli. I used E. coli K12 from Carolina Biological Supply. This strain of E. coli is generally regarded as safe and non-disease causing, though you should still wear proper protective equipment and clean and disinfect all work surfaces and equipment. I've included a link to where you can purchase the bacteria. The bacteria you can purchase from this link are in liquid form.

http://www.carolina.com/bacteria/escher ... /155068.pr

Hope this helped,
Allison

Hi Dahae, like allisontu I have also used e.coli k12 for science fair and always bought it from the Carolina biological supply company. This company is probably one of the most trusted and most used supplier for really anything science related. In the past, I have also bought nutrient agar plates and numerous teachers use this company for their supplies.

http://www.carolina.com/

I used this one:

http://www.carolina.com/bacteriophage-h ... tion=ecoli