Bacterial hand print:  large colony in lower right is a as well as other larger colonies Bacillus spp, colored bacteria is either Staphylococcu aures (yellow),  Staphylococcus epidermidis (white) Micrococcus luteus (yellow), unknown yeast (yellow) and orange (Rhodotorula)

Simple science turned into art.
Handprint of my 8 year old son after he had come in from the backyard, posted on the ASM site Microbeworld, hit the internet 2 years ago with astounding results going viral over a weekend:

https://www.today.com/health/striking-photo-shows-all-bacteria-8-year-olds-hand-t25096

http://www.businessinsider.com/microbeworld-handprint-bacteria-photo-by-tasha-sturm-2015-6

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20150608/NEWS/150609728

http://www.upworthy.com/an-8-year-olds-bacteria-filled-handprint-is-the-coolest-thing-ive-seen-all-week

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/08/bacteria-handprint-photo_n_7538912.html

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-happens-when-you-culture-bacteria-eight-year-olds-hand-180955528/

Bacillus or yeast contaminant
  Bacillus spp seen in the lower left of the plate.  Common soil bacterial.  Not much grows around this colony due to possible antibiotic production or the fact that it may have outgrown everything else.
Something as simple as a bacterial handprint, done in most beginning Micro classrooms, showing normal human flora and common environmental contaminants.  Good for building a strong immune system but a good reminder to wash before eating or after using the restroom.In the world of science communication a picture really is worth a thousand words!

All images copyright Sturm
tasturm@cabrillo.edu



Tee Shirt available at Cabrillo College Book Store(831479-6209
or
Niles Biological:  http://www.nilesbio.com/cat499.html 

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 6, 2018 at 12:22 AM

    really interesting! May be intriguing to have the same after a (normal) wash of the hand

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tasturmNovember 6, 2018 at 9:08 AM

      Check out my other post. I have several examples of washed vs unwashed hands. It is interesting to see how well the natural hand flora grows once the environmental organisms have been washed away.

      Delete
    2. UnknownNovember 10, 2018 at 3:06 PM

      So true! I tried this many years ago when I was working in a lab in UK.
      I washed my hands before and my english colleague did not. Such a different result!! A kind of "revelation".

      Delete
  2. UnknownFebruary 4, 2019 at 5:45 PM

    I would love to buy a print of this, or of it printed onto something (maybe a coffee mug). Any chance of uploading it to one of the art print sites?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tasha SturmFebruary 5, 2019 at 1:00 PM

      I am working on getting prints made and will post/sell on Etsy soon. Shirts are already available through the Cabrillo College Bookstore and soon on Etsy as well. Thnaks!

      Delete
    2. UnknownFebruary 5, 2019 at 6:45 PM

      Awesome! I'll look forward to it. I frequently show your photo when I am telling people about contact transfer and why it is important to wear proper PPE and clean tools for clean-room work. I'd love to put a good quality print on the wall in my office or lab.

      Delete
  3. UnknownJune 10, 2019 at 12:14 PM

    Which medium did you use?

    ReplyDelete

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