Acne

[deleted-146690]

I have an experiment where I am studying over the counter acne medication to see which one most effectively stops the proliferation of bacteria. I was planning on using E.coli as the test specimen and growing it on Agar plates.

I want to know if it is possible to use P.acne instead of E.coli because P.acne is the real cause of acne. Is it it possible to grow P.acne on agar plates? If so, where can I acquire P.acne? I also want to know if i can create a more realistic environment/median for my experiment besides agar plates. If anybody has any other suggestions for modifications to my experiment, I would greatly appreciate it.

[sunmoonstars]

Hi,

This is a common project this year! It's a good, one, too, because growing bacteria is pretty easy. yes, you could switch to the bacteria that causes acne, and purchase that from ATCC. I found this reply from Donna that answers your questions:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... =28&t=7008
You may also want to see this post with a similar question: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... 28&t=12217

Have fun!
Let me know if you need more help.

Tonya

[deleted-146690]

Hello,
Thank you for the reply, it was very helpful. I am also in need of a good environment to culture my bacteria. Should i grow it on E.coli or is there a better environment to grow it on?

[sunmoonstars]

Hello,
Thank you for the reply, it was very helpful. I am also in need of a good environment to culture my bacteria. Should i grow it on E.coli or is there a better environment to grow it on?

Hi again,

Read through that first link carefully. Donna gives advice on the growth of the P. acne - saying it can be challenging, and the growth conditions are there in a link she provides.

Good luck!
Tonya

[deleted-303828]

My son is looking at pursuing this project. We cannot access the hyperlinks in the answer above. I have found ONE company that has the P. acnes supplies. I am steering him away from E. coli if possible, since that is not the predominant bacteria on the face when treating acne.

Any links to supplies for the P. acnes would be greatly appreciated!

[deleted-288920]

Hi There!

You can purchase P. acnes through ATCC. http://www.atcc.org/Search_Results.aspx ... es&redir=1 You should be able to purchase bacteria that is listed as a BioSafety Level 1.

Is this the project your son is looking to do? Which Acne Medication Can Really Zap That Zit? https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p019.shtml I would suggest before growing the bacteria to read through the Microorganism Safety guide, there is a link to it directly on that page. Additional materials can also be purchased through Carolina Biologics http://www.carolina.com/science-buddies ... rium_acnes

Good luck! Let us know if you have any additional questions.

~Nikki