Only the Privileged Can Do Microbiology

Commentary

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) rules ban microbiology experiments done at home or in school. (Photos.com)

Curious about the microscopic world lurking in a local river, mall restroom, or friend’s refrigerator? Too bad, because you will not be allowed to design a science fair project to explore the intriguing questions you may have. The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) rules ban microbiology experiments done at home or in school.

Most school, regional, and state science fairs, and even the wildly popular Google Science Fair, follow ISEF guidelines. That means only those students who have access to university laboratories will be able to conduct research on mold or bacteria. Since both types of organisms are generally too small to be seen without a microscope, measuring their activity typically requires growing (that is, culturing) them, and culturing is prohibited.

There are some notable exceptions. You may work with yeast provided you don’t mix and match the yeast’s DNA with that of anything else’s DNA. You may measure the time it takes food to mold, but you must immediately stop the experiment at the first sign of any mold. You may observe oil-eating, algae-eating, yogurt-producing, nitrogen-fixing, and soil-dwelling bacteria as long as you don’t remove them from, or manipulate them in, their natural environments. Note that these are never allowed in Petri dishes.

Petri dishes may only be used for unknown microbes as long as they are immediately sealed, remain unopened, and disposed of properly—at a Biosafety Level 1 (or higher) laboratory facility.

Microbiology is a great platform for engaging kids in science with easy activities ranging from amazing to disgusting to—yes—dangerous. It’s unfortunate that the rules prohibit these experiments instead of providing guidelines on how to conduct them safely.

For example, under the supervision of an adult, rubbing alcohol (70 percent ethyl alcohol) or a weak (10 percent) bleach solution could be used to sterilize surfaces, tools, and even Petri dishes before and after experimenting. Any items that are glass or ceramic could be boiled in water or cleaned in a dishwasher set on a hot water cycle. Judicious use of warm soapy water and little common sense (that is, no licking or sniffing anything) would go a long way.

Ultimately, how can we inspire the next generation of microbiologists if they can’t start exploring until they’re in college or—worse—they learn that microbiology is about watching bacteria they can’t see while in an experiment they can’t manipulate?

Here are links to the rules: [ 1 ] | [ 2 ] | [ 3 ]

Dr. Maille Lyons is an environmental microbiologist with a passion for teaching kids to design their own science fair projects. More information on project designs and non-microbiology ideas can be found at her website.