Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am planning to do a project to see if the bacteria on your hands can become resistant to alcohol or triclosan based antibacterial soaps. Would it be okay for this project if I swabbed the bacteria on my hands without having a specific colony to be tested? Also, for an incubator could you have a covered box with a heating lamp on it? Thanks!

Hi simone 7,

This sounds like a very interesting project. Before you start you want to make sure you follow all the safety requirements. Experiments with bacteria especially ones that are resistant to antibacterial compounds need to be worked with in a lab. Do you have access to a lab at school? Check out our page on safety with microorganisms

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... fety.shtml

I think that starting with bacteria from your hand is fine for this project. You could plate the microbes with and without triclosan and count the number of colonies you get.

If you want to use a heat lamp you need to be careful that the box doesn't get too hot. Bacteria will not grow if it is too hot or too cold. So you will want to keep the box as close too 37 degrees Celsius as possible.

-Kierstyn