Killing Alpha Streptococcus with Mouthwash
Hard
Ever wondered if the bacteria in your mouth is being killed? This experiment will help you find out which mouthwash is most effective in killing alpha streptococcus.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash will kill the most alpha streptococcus.
Method & Materials
You will isolate alpha streptococcus, make a suspension of the organism, inoculate plates with mouthwashes, measure zones of death with a caliper, and estimate the number of colonies within the death zones.
You will need cotton swabs, a blood agar plate, a blood agar slant, an inoculating loop, saline solution, a colorimeter, blood Mueller Hinton plates, a 10 microliter pipette, a 50 microliter pipette, an incubator, calipers, and an autoclave.
Results
The experiment showed that Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash was the most effective in killing alpha streptococcus, with the largest death zone around the area where the mouthwash was placed.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it helps to answer the question of whether or not the bacteria in our mouths is being killed by mouthwash.
Also Consider
Variations to consider include testing different types of mouthwash, testing different concentrations of mouthwash, and testing different bacteria.
Full project details
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