Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am a science research student currently trying to find a topic to research about. My variable question is "How much faster does bacteria grow in one's retainer overnight if they have not brushed their retainer (compared to if they have brushed their retainer)?"

I have not looked into this topic because I do not know if it is feasible. It is possible to make a bacteria count at a specific time?

Hi,

Yes, this is absolutely possible to do! Science Buddies has a lot of information about bacterial cultures; I suggest you start by taking a look at the microbiology section of this page (bottom right): https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ndex.shtml . You might wish to adapt this Science Buddies project: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... M&from=TSW .

Let us know if you have any additional questions after you've looked these pages over.

That is a very good idea! One step to gauge the feasibility of the project is to take stock of what scientific equipment do you have access to. That will help you in deciding what methods you can use to compare the rate of bacterial growth in your different conditions.