Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello,

I am currently in 10th grade and I am working on a science fair project. My topic is learning about how penicillin, ampicillin, and neomycin affect the Growth of Serratia Bacteria. I have done some background research, however, I do not know how to start the project, or how to do the experiment, or what materials I will need. Is there a difference between a broth tube and agar slant?

Thanks!

Hello,

That sounds like an interesting project! To start, form a hypothesis and determine your experiment groups (the three antibiotics and a control). For testing, you could spread the bacterial culture on agar plates, apply the antibiotics, and incubate. Afterward, observe the zones of inhibition to measure how each antibiotic affects bacterial growth.

Some general materials you'll need are bacterial culture, antibiotics, agar plates, sterile pipettes and loops, and sterilizing equipment. Carolina Biological is a great source for these supplies. Agar plates are ideal for this project because they allow easy observation of bacterial growth and inhibition zones. Broth tubes are liquid and used to observe turbidity for large bacterial growth, while agar slants are solid and used to study growth patterns over time.

Since this project involves bacteria, I recommend having adult supervision in a lab. They can also help with supplies, procedures, and safety precautions.

Here are some helpful Science Buddies resources:
Antibiotic Resistance Project: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... resistance

Microbiology Techniques and Troubleshooting: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... leshooting

Microorganisms Safety Guide: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... sms-safety

Scientific Method: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... fic-method

I hope that helps!

Thank you so much for your reply. Is there any specific antibiotics I should use? I have been researching Serratia marcescens and they have a resistance to most antibiotics.

Thanks!

Of course, I'm glad I could help!
No, it should be fine as long as you have background research supporting your choice of antibiotics. The three antibiotics you mentioned earlier are all great options.

Let me know if you have any more questions!