Twelfth Grade, Fight Harmful Microbes Science Projects (6 results)
Experiment with ways to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, which is important because some can cause disease. Test how well medications, products, sunlight, garlic, a virus, or more work to combat microbes.
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Antibiotics work by destabilizing the metabolism or cellular structure of bacteria, preventing growth, and causing bacteria to die. Some strains of bacteria have mutated and found a way to resist the actions of antibiotics. These are called resistant strains because they resist the actions of available antibiotic treatments. There are many different types of antibiotics that are continually being developed to combat new strains of resistant bacteria. Some antibiotics work better on different…
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Featured
Have you heard that garlic powder is supposed to inhibit the growth of bacteria? Which do you think would make a better disinfectant: a solution of garlic powder or a solution of bleach? This project shows you a straightforward way to compare the effectiveness of different disinfectants (or other antimicrobial agents), by measuring zones of inhibition on a culture plate.
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Most people are not aware that the soil around them is a battle scene. The combatants are very small—bacteria on one side and bacteriophage on the other. The bacteriophage (or phage for short) try to pierce the outer coats of the bacteria and inject them with phage DNA. If successful, the DNA will take over the inner machinery of the bacterial cells and force them to make many copies of the phage. After the copies are made, the bacterial cells break apart, releasing new phage that start…
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New
Drones are small, fast, and maneuverable - this can make them very hard to knock down! Check out this Mark Rober video where he explores both how professional defense companies and some backyard YouTube engineers tackle the problem of knocking drones out of the sky. Can you take this engineering challenge on yourself? What methods can you devise to take down a drone? Which one works the best?
Drones can be expensive, and you probably do not want to risk damaging a $1,000 drone for your science…
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Did you know that a scientific study has shown that chewing Big Red Gum reduces mouth microbes? (ScienceDaily contributors, 2004) The cinnamon oil in the gum is a natural defense against mouth bacteria that cause tooth decay and bad breath. Conduct an experiment to compare products with cinnamon essence in gum, candy, toothpaste, and mouthwash to see if they can decrease mouth germs. Do a before and after swab of the mouth with a Q-tip. Which treatments work the best? Can you find another…
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This is a project that illustrates the process of natural selection in action. You'll need access to a laboratory for working with the bacterial cultures used in this project.
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What do pneumonia, ear infections and strep throat have in common? When they are caused by bacteria (instead of viruses) they are treated by antibiotics. That sounds simple enough, right? You have probably had antibiotics several times in your life. You go to the doctor because you feel lousy, if he or she determines you have a bacterial infection you get a prescription for antibiotics, and within the first day or so you often start feeling much better. Unfortunately, there is a large…
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New
Engineers are trying to tackle the world's ocean pollution problem using robots. Some robots, like Mr. Trash Wheel and the ship featured in this Mark Rober video, are stationary and collect trash as it flows out of rivers before it gets into the ocean. Others, like the Jellyfishbot, are mobile and can squeeze into narrower spaces to collect trash:
Can you build and test your own trash-skimming robot? If you do not have access to a natural body of water to test it in, you can use a bathtub or a…
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Have you ever wondered how X-rays affect living organisms? You have probably had X-rays taken at the dentist's or
doctor's office. These X-rays are considered to be relatively safe, but every X-ray exposes a person to some radiation,
specifically electromagnetic radiation. Radiation is energy that travels through space as either waves or high speed
particles. Watch this video to learn more about electromagnetic radiation.
When the energy in X-rays encounters an object, it can…
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