Agar Art: A Summer STEAM Activity

While many view art and science as separate fields, they often overlap. Art frequently guides, challenges and inspires the scientific process while scientific advancements have contributed to many artistic works. Incorporating art into scientific subjects is a great way to…

Meeting your microbial neighbors with sourdough

Microbes are all around us -- in the dirt, on our food, in the air, on our skin. We often think of them being bad or pathogenic -- for example, flu viruses, strep bacteria, or ringworm fungus. But those "bad…

Best of the Best – Identifying coliform bacteria in water samples

Water quality is a critical factor for public health. Water is essential for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. This means that water testing and monitoring are essential to ensure that a community stays healthy. In fact, disease outbreaks have been repeatedly…