Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello I am in the middle of science fair and have run into a few problems. Firstly, my project is studying how iron levels can influence the bioimaging expression since there wasn’t a clear awnser in articles I saw. However, in order for this to work I would need blood, and all the pigs and sheep’s blood viles are super expensive and no farmers markets have pig or sheep liver to extract blood from. Is there a place to get sheep or animal blood that be at a reasonable price and not the black market?

First, I want to make sure you check all the prior approvals you need for the use of animal blood. It’s best to check with your school and the local science fair’s rules for that. You may also want to check the ISEF guidelines. Before you obtain blood, talk to your teacher and your fair’s SRC and submit any required forms. Don’t buy or handle blood until you have approval.

Here is a Science Buddies guide on biological agents regulations:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... egulations

Second, please be aware that this experiment is unlikely to be allowed to be performed at home. You will need a lab with the correct BSL category.

It appears you have already looked into biological suppliers: Carolina Biological, Thermo Fisher, and Pel-Freeze are a few options.

Other options include checking with your local butchers. Local veterinarians may also be able to provide additional options.

I am unsure of the details of your project; however, would using iron solutions be an alternative? Using iron sulfate solutions at different concentrations may be an option.

Let us know if you have further questions,

Anya

Hello thank you for your reply
Yes, I did get approval from my teacher I just need to find a provider to finish filling out the rest of the forms. Unfortunately, just iron wouldn't simulate what my experiment is trying to do- for my experiment, the iron affects how much hemoglobin is produced, but it can also hinder the bio-imaging scans, so I wanted to explore this topic a little bit more to understand how big of a difference and optimal iron range in blood would be. Thank you for your feedback! Happy holidays!

Sayuri

Hi, in additon to asking local butchers, consider Asian grocery stores. Some asian stores sell pig blood (it is used in some recipes). If you have an asian supermarket locally (Pan Asia) it might be worth checking out. If they dont have it in stock, consider asking the store for any further guidance they might have.

Good luck,
Anya