Bacteria Studies - The Smell of Science!

4/23/2019

Science Teacher Joanna Kibbe


	This petri dish filled with bacteria swabbed from a student’s phone and from their chair.

Clairbourn seventh-graders experienced a bacteria lab where they studied the microbiota of their daily lives. Each student swabbed their phone or laptop and then had the option of a swabbing a second item.

Students inoculated petri dishes with the bacteria collected in and around the classroom, and the growth was aided by an agar growth medium added to the dishes. Each day, the petri dishes were studied and diagramed.

On the second day, students noticed a slight scent emanating from the petri dishes. As bacteria grow and replicate, they release a wide variety of compounds—many of which give off a strong odor—the smell of science!

Growing bacteria in the petri dishes released odoriferous chemical compounds.

Students enjoyed comparing their bacteria colonies with their classmates. Students saw firsthand why it’s important to wash your hands and clean your computers, phones, chairs, tables, and other things handled by people every day. It was interesting to see how quickly the bacteria colonies spread.

Students recorded their findings in lab books and compared their findings with classmates.

It is important to note that most of the bacteria we come into contact with is not harmful to humans. In fact, we couldn’t get along without many types of helpful bacteria. We need certain bacteria in our gut to produce vitamins and other bacteria to maintain immune systems.

Without bacteria we wouldn’t have sour cream, cheese, yogurt, pickles, olives, and fermented foods. Though most bacteria won’t harm us, students learned that it is important to keep our hands and surfaces clean.

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