Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi, i am performing the bread mold experiment but mine is slightly different. I am planning on testing each mold to identify the type of molds grow on different breads. How exactly would i test and examine the mold to decipher what mold it is. I dont want to go through the process of sending it to a lab.

Thanks

Hi,

Welcome to Science Buddies!

This sounds like an interesting experiment; however, I could not find the project idea you are doing. Are you trying to do a project on the Science Buddies website?

Molds are identified primarily by growing them on a square of agar and capturing the spores on a glass cover slip that is stained and examined under the microscope. Identification requires very close examination of the size, shape, and arrangement of the mold spores. Please let me know if you have access to a microscope and a laboratory, and I can give you more detailed information.

Here are websites that show what the spores for two common bread molds look like. Rhizopus is the white, furry mold with dark black dots; Aspergillus is the common greenish/brownish mold.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizopus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus

Here are some photomicrographs of other types of mold spores.

http://www.inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/ ... icMold.htm

What grade are you in? Your idea is a really good one, but may be too challenging. Please let me know if you need some other ideas for your project.


Donna Hardy

I am in the 9th grade. No, I do not have access to a laboratory. What I need to know is which mold is which when i perform the experiment. By the way, this project idea was made up by me so you probably would not find the idea any where else. I thought there might be a science kit out there that could help me to identifty the type of mold from each type of bread without sending it to a lab.