Kids Reading Round-up: Germs, Germs, Germs

Looking for books on microbes? Most folks start with “germ” – a term making you squirm. (I can’t resist the rhyme this time.) Generally, you’ll open germ books up and learn about the importance of washing your hands. This “Reading Round-up” features several newer “germ” kids’ books, including ones that balance the stories of sickness and “germs” with non-pathogenic microbes and scientific advances! Here’s one microbiologist’s reviews. Germs Up Close Sara Levine. Millbrook Press. (2021), Ages 4-8. “A classical reference book on common pathogenic viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi”. Summary: Germs Up Close is a great reference book for kids looking for lists of microbes that cause disease. Made up of sections based on the broad classifications of microbes, there is an initial introduction to the microbial group followed by profiles of individual microbes of that group. Each microbe has their own “rap sheet”: Name, pronunciation, appearance, habitat, diseases it causes, more to know. What I like: Germy Science: The Sick Truth about Getting Sick (and Staying Healthy) Edward Kay, author and Mike Shiell, illustrator. Kids Can Press. (2021), Ages 7-11. Summary: “A kids encyclopedia of “germs” from ancient to modern times.” Germy Science: The Sick Truth about Getting Sick

Reading Round-Up: Microbiology Books for Kids!

Need some good microbiology kids books? Take a look at the Reading Round-Up!

Crafty Microbiology: Teaching Microbiology Skills Online

Crisis inspires innovation! We developed Crafty Microbiology to teach essential microbiology skills at home using safe, common, cheap craft supplies and disposable lab tools. A.M. Estes, A.S. Jozwick, and J.E. Kerr 2021 How can you teach students fundamental microbiology skills at home – safely? The COVID-19 pandemic has been quite the disruptor for educators and students alike. To stop the spread of this virus, we human hosts need to stay away from each other! SARS-CoV2 is super tricky since many infected people don’t show symptoms or have mild symptoms. So what do you do when the skills your students need to learn can’t be done face-to-face? In-person Microbiology Labs Microbiology laboratory, in particular, is tough to teach to students at home. Typically students learn how to grow and test non-disease-causing bacteria in the Microbiology teaching labs on campus. Growing bacteria requires special media “food” for the bacteria, incubators to keep the cultures at the right temperature, and lab equipment – including Bunsen burners and special tools for moving the bacteria. A fundamental skill is learning “Sterile” or “Aseptic” technique. Students learn how to grow only the non-pathogenic, Risk Group 1 microbes they are given. Sounds easy – right? Well, no.

The Great Yogurt Experiment: Part II – Mesophilic (room temperature) Heirloom yogurt

Tasting the bacterial diversity and seeing pH difference using yogurt fermentation for microbiology teaching. I love the idea that invisible microbes can change their habitat so much we macro-organisms will pay attention and even help them! After all, people have maintained yogurt cultures for generations. Take for example the Heirloom yogurts from Culture for Health that I have been playing with and am considering sending to my General Microbiology class this semester. One overarching theme in my microbiology class is always that microbial diversity provides multiple solutions to the same “problem”. Diversity Matters! In this case – different combinations of bacteria can take the same milk, break-up the milk sugars, and poop out lactic acid. The lactic acid lowers the pH of the yogurt, which protects yogurt from pathogenic bacteria (molds can still grow though given enough time). Lactic acid gives the tart, sour taste to yogurt. To teach my General Microbiology students that microbes – just by growing – can dramatically change their habitat. This semester students will culture their own yogurt to see and taste the difference! The problem is most store-bought yogurts grow best at 113 °F (45 °C). That’s pretty warm. That was tricky during my