Growing bacteria in science class

21-27 February 2020: Our students in grades 5-8 grow common Escherechia coli bacteria, seeing how long it takes them to divide and double.  They also saw that growth at a cool room temperature of 15°C instead of their optimal 37°C (our body temperature) slowed them by a factor of five!  Here’s our temperature-controlled water bath and the students holding up the final cultures.  Btw, the E. coli cultures are safe, non-pathogenic strains from Carolina Biological Supply.  These are bacteria in our normal guts that help edge out pathogens, in fact.