Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello Expert,
I am doing a science project on the topic of water born disease. I want to what books I should borrow/buy, to research about this topic, and trim it down to a specific question. Also, are there any specific categories in the topic of water born diseases that I should focus my study on? (i.e. bacteria)
Thank you,
Sareena

Dear Sareena,

As you can probably imagine, all kinds of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoans (unicellular organisms) can cause waterborne diseases. There's not one "right" category that you should focus on. Why not focus on something that interests you? If you want to learn about bacteria, then focus on learning about diseases caused by bacteria. Alternatively, you can also work in the opposite direction. If you've always wondered about cholera, you can research the causative agent of cholera (in this case, a bacteria called Vibrio cholera) and learn more about that class. You can even take a single incident and find its cause, such as the infamous contaminated hamburgers from Jack-in-the-Box.

As for places to get more information, the internet and your local library are invaluable. First, find a general question you're interested in. Then do a Google search or look up some libraries/encyclopedias in your local library to learn some more general aspects. Biology textbooks can be invaluable a well. Once you've learned a bit more about the background, some questions usually pop out to you. From there, it's just a matter of refining the question until it turns into a doable project.

However, make sure that you're careful to design projects that involve nonpathogenic microorganisms. Most science fairs follow SRC guidelines regarding safety. Just in case you're curious, here's a link to the SRC information about working with potentially biohazardous substances.

http://www.sciserv.org/isef/teachers/rules/rules11.asp

Good luck with your project! It sounds really interesting. Learning about infectious diseases is something I've always loved.

Best wishes,
Linh

Dear Linh,
Thank you for your help. This will really help. As for what I know...I really don't have extensive knowledge in bacterial diseases and such. I've taken a basic biology honors class...but pretty much nothing after that. I was inspired to research about water born diseases after the peculiar frequency of floodings in various parts of the world (Tsunami, Bombay floods, Katrina and Rita)...
So basically I'm starting at an elementary level, but not so low as to how a cell functions. How do I start my research? My topic seems so broad, I'm really lost. I've looked at the Science Buddies web page on 'how to conduct research,' and that has helped, but I just need a push in the right direction.
Thank you,
Sareena

As you think about your project, always keep in mind the sorts of resources at your disposal.

What creatures or microorganisms will be cheap and easy to culture?
Where will the cultures be kept?
What sources of organisms are near you that you can use as model systems?
How do they relate to those that cause disease?
How will you keep yourself safe from infection?
How can you measure the variables that will be part of your experiment?

hhemken,
Thanks for the guiding questions! They've really helped me. I thought of focusing on something more applicable to a majority of the people in the U.S. and work with Public Health...maybe even stomach-flu problems caused by bacteria found in poor water sewage clean up systems.
I know the Nobel Prize was recently rewarded to a scientist who worked with an infection found in the intestines.
I'm pretty sure that I have to submit my project by mid-november for SRC approval, and I don't feel I'm ready yet. Is it advisable to research for this entire year, and then compete next year?
Another thing, I have recently been inspired to compete at ISEF by the end of my senior year (2008). I have this feeling that my work has to be original to go through my regional science fair. Is this an actual requirement for ISEF? It seems that all the people I've met that have attended ISEF have done incredible original work...and it becomes quite intimidating at times!
Thank you,
Sareena