Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello,

I am a sophomore at a STEM school. In order to graduate, we must complete a research project. I have to do a microbiology research project (I'm the only one), but I don't know what would be an easy idea and topic that is relevant to a current issue. I am running VERY SHORT on time. Everyone else has a topic chosen and I am still looking for one. PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE

I forgot to include... I have to work with the bacteria S. mutans because the lab manager has placed an order. For some reason every idea I have is not feasible (plant extracts vs. inhibition). I am going crazy, I cannot even sleep. Someone help

Hello and welcome to Science Buddies,

Have you tried looking at the Science Buddies Project Ideas? There are over 1100 projects! Go to this link and type in S. mutans and see if there are related projects. Even if you don't like the specific project, read through the project and read the references listed in the background. That should give you a better idea of what types of projects might be suitable for you.

Let us know what you find and if you have more questions!

Thank you. I tweaked my project a bit. I’m dealing with different concentrations of menthol obtained via peppermint. Do you know what concentrations I should choose? Do I just choose randomly? Also, any ideas for my control? I would really appreciate anyone’s help and advice.

Hello,
You will need to describe your project and do some background research. Here's a link to the Science Buddies project guide:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ience-fair

There's a helpful section on doing background research as well as constructing a hypothesis. Read through this and follow the steps to get the background information that should help you decide what concentrations to use. Let us know if this helps and if you have more questions.