The Journey of a Scientist

Thank you for the chance to share “science”.

Mr. Boehler

Microbiology: The science of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi)

• Biology – Microbiology– Immunology

• Chemistry• Physics

Summary – What are microbes?

– cell

– Laboratory Testing with technology.

– Microscopic examination

– Statistics

– Sample Science Data

- Lab Safety - Group Exercise – with skittles

Simple to Complex Life

Human Body Biology • Humans• Animals• Plants• Mold• Yeast• Bacteria• Viruses

Understanding how cells function provides insight into solving challenging problems

Bacteria Cells:Help DigestionNatural Balance

Human CellsTissues

Brain, Kidneys, LiverPancreas, Stomach, Heart, Skin, Bones

Technology

Nature: glowing fire-flyLaboratory

Applying the “glowing” mechanismto the microbiology laboratoryto check products for Quality.

Essential Tools for Young Scientists:

Scientific MethodA. Literature Review =

LIBRARY! B. HypothesisC. Method D. Materials

E. ResultsF. DiscussionG. Conclusion

• Think!• Read• Write!

• Publish• Present and Prepare to Be Challenged

• Apply learned science in a practical / helpful way.

– Some Examples = • Environment• Product Safety• Human Health• Animal Health

Environmental MicrobiologyWhere do bacteria, mold –& yeast come from?

Plant Microbes

Soil Microbes

Water Microbes

Air Microbes

Surface Microbes

Petri Dish containing microbes

Soil Microbes

• Bacillus bacteria

Skin Microbes

Bacteria from contaminated water

Gram negative rodsE. coli

• What does this mean?– Although a lot of bacteria out

there are good… there are some that contain harmful parts that can make us sick…

– That is why it is important to always wash hands for an ample amount of time, using soap.

– Cook food well, store food properly and be aware of expiration dates.

StaphE. coli

MoldNegative Control Yeast

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Microorganism ATP in Lotions, Sunscreens, Gels & Face/Eye

Serums

Mea

sure

d Li

ght (

log)

Sample Data: how to read aGraph with science results..?

• Create Summary Data graph.

• Tool for data analysis process.

Microscope • Why do we need a

microscope?

• Pathogenic vs. non-pathogenic bacteria

Some of the things we see in a microscope

Staph aureus Bacillus cereus

Mold – yuck; is this mold bad?

Yeast

Why are fungi so important?

Penicillin medicine Bread rising• The essentials of any bread dough are

flour, water, and yeast.

• The yeast metabolizes these simple sugars and exudes a liquid that releases carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol into existing air bubbles in the dough.

Safe Products

Lab Safety

Protective Personal Equipment

• Safety goggles/glasses

• What should this lab technician be wearing?

Laboratory Measurements

Measurements• Graduated Cylinder• Beakers

– Why are accurate measurements important in the lab?

• Formulation of Media

Quantitative Research Experiment

• Candy – count the number of pieces of candy you have.

• Each piece of candy = a colony of bacteria.

• Separate the candy (skittles) into groups based on the color.

• On paper, write the number of candies for each color.

– Graph the data collected.

• Red = Yeast (rhodotorula)• Yellow = skin bacteria (staph)• Orange = bacillus bacteria• Green = Mold

• Y – axis = number of candy pieces (number of microorganisms)

• X – axis = type of microorganism

Collecting and Summarizing DataI. Build a Table

Color Number of pieces

Type of microorganism

Red 10 Yeast

Green 4 Mold

Yellow 3 Staph

Orange 11 Bacillus

Purple 1 E. coli

Blue 6 Listeria

II. Build a Graph

Yeast Mold Staph Bacillus E. coli Listeria0

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Type and Frequency of Microorganisms present on school desks

Micr

oorg

anism

Col

onie

s

Conclusion• As manager of the Ambix microbiology lab:

– Test products for market release.– Document and communicate results.

– Summarize results using statistics and the scientific method.

– Maintain an environmental monitoring program.– Maintain a water quality program.

– Interface with FDA.

– Investigate microbiology related challenges.– Validate microbiological methods.– Write and revise Procedures to keep current.

– Research and Development

• Science is an amazing field to be in!– There are many areas of biology.

– I pursued and continue to be challenged in microbiology with a goal to ensure that products are safe.• The goal is attainable and successful

with the application of knowledge and experience – Bachelor of Science Degree – Biology (Stony Brook University; 1999)– Master of Science – Microbiology /

Immunology (Long Island University; 2002)

– Experience – learned from mentors; training; U.S. Navy Reserves and the pursuit of scientific challenges.