Tasha Sturm is a lab technician at Cabrillo College in California, and she never ceases to be fascinated by science and the unseen world around us.
Recently, after her 8-year-old son came in from playing outside, she had him place his hand in a bowl of tryptic soy agar, which forms a nutritious jelly microbial bacteria like to feed on. After her son pressed his hand into the gel, she incubated the specimen and left it alone for a while. A few short days later, this is what had formed…
Though Sturm’s petri dish should technically be treated as a ‘biohazard,’ having this kind of bacteria on your hands and skin is normal. Exposure to safe amounts and types of bacteria ensures a healthy and well-regulated immune system and digestive tract.
