Start of a home science

study

Using the most sterile conditions possible (hand washing; minimal touching), white bread was swiped over different surfaces then sealed in labeled ZipLoc bags. Two samples were taken from each area. One set of samples was put in a dark, cool (65deg. F) basement and the other was kept in sunlight during the day (and brief heat – see note below) and in an indoor room at night. The samples came from a door knob, a toilet rim, the garbage can, and a human mouth. Also, two samples WERE NOT swiped on any surfaces, however, one was sprinkled with tap water and the other with sterile water (that had been boiled for 15 minutes). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0mYhOZcAJY

Ongoing project – sample storage

• First samples were taken in July 2011; they were swiped on household surface– Six were placed on the porch, briefly in a warmed over

overnight, then in daylight thereafter– Six were placed in a cool, dark basement

• A week later, two more samples were taken for the basement and the “porch” sample and were slightly-soaked in water

• Nine days later, two whole wheat bread samples were taken from a board that had been swiped with meat and then left at room temperature for 36 hours; one samples was left dry and the other was sprinkled with sterile water

Sample areas / day takenPorch / daylight Basement

Front door 1 (brief heat) 1

Back door 1 (brief heat) 1

Toilet 1 (brief heat) 1

Mouth 1 (brief heat) 1

Sterile water 1 (brief heat) 1

Tap water 1 (brief heat) 1

Back door 7 7

Cat litter 7 7

Swiped meat 17 17

Porch – daylight ; day 0 Another set of samples was put in the daylight on the porch during the summer day’s and in the house in the evening. Temperature range from 65 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

Basement – day 0

Put in a dark basement area at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Basement – day 8

Outdoor Samples – day 9

The 2 in this last column were added 1.5 days earlier; they were moist and from the rear door &

from the cat little box

Some yellowing seen on samples where water had been placed but no visually-noticeable growths were evident yet

Bread Samples – basement; day 9

The 2 in this last column were added 1.5 days earlier; they were moist and from the rear door & from the cat little box

Bread Samples – basement; day 9

These were the samples that were moistened before being put in the

basement

Sterile water

Tap water

Bread closeup – basement; day 9

This is a close-up 9 days in the darkened basement for the sterile-water sprinkled bread

Black circular growths

Yellow growths (hard to

see here)

Bread closeup – basement; day 9

This is a close-up 9 days in the darkened basement for the tap-water sprinkled bread

A few black circular growths

More diffuse

greenish growths

The two rows, the first 3 have were inoculated 20 days ago

This column was inoculated 13 days ago

Basement stored samples

This column

swiped 4 days ago

The two rows, the first 3 have were inoculated 20 days ago

This column was inoculated & dipped in water 13 days ago

Light stored & heated samples

This column

swiped 4 days ago