The Effect of the Amount of Penicillin Disks on the Growth of E.Coli and How Time Changes the Effectiveness of Penicillin
School Name
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Microbiology
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to see if adding penicillin disks would inhibit the growth of E.Coli K12 and to see if the longer the variables spent in the petri dish then would the penicillin lose its effectiveness. The independent variable was the penicillin disks and the dependent variable was the E.Coli. For the experiment, E.Coli was put on half of a petri dish using a sterile cotton swab while the penicillin disks were put on the other half. After 3 days the petri dishes were checked to see if E.Coli had grown close to the penicillin disks and pictures were taken of each petri dish so that later the amount of bacteria could be graded on a scale of 0 - 5 where 0 is no bacteria and 5 is bacteria existing very close to the penicillin disk(s). This was done for two more days to test how the effectiveness of penicillin changes over time. The experiment resulted in a direct correlation that the more penicillin disks present the less likely the E.Coli is to grow as well as the more time the two variables spend in the same petri dish the less effective the penicillin. The two hypotheses were If there are more penicillin soaked disks of paper in a petri dish, then there will be less bacteria and If the penicillin disks and E.Coli spend more time in the dish, then there will be more bacteria. The hypotheses were supported.
Recommended Citation
Barker, Evan, "The Effect of the Amount of Penicillin Disks on the Growth of E.Coli and How Time Changes the Effectiveness of Penicillin" (2019). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 238.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2019/all/238
Location
Founders Hall 216 B
Start Date
3-30-2019 10:45 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
The Effect of the Amount of Penicillin Disks on the Growth of E.Coli and How Time Changes the Effectiveness of Penicillin
Founders Hall 216 B
The purpose of this experiment was to see if adding penicillin disks would inhibit the growth of E.Coli K12 and to see if the longer the variables spent in the petri dish then would the penicillin lose its effectiveness. The independent variable was the penicillin disks and the dependent variable was the E.Coli. For the experiment, E.Coli was put on half of a petri dish using a sterile cotton swab while the penicillin disks were put on the other half. After 3 days the petri dishes were checked to see if E.Coli had grown close to the penicillin disks and pictures were taken of each petri dish so that later the amount of bacteria could be graded on a scale of 0 - 5 where 0 is no bacteria and 5 is bacteria existing very close to the penicillin disk(s). This was done for two more days to test how the effectiveness of penicillin changes over time. The experiment resulted in a direct correlation that the more penicillin disks present the less likely the E.Coli is to grow as well as the more time the two variables spend in the same petri dish the less effective the penicillin. The two hypotheses were If there are more penicillin soaked disks of paper in a petri dish, then there will be less bacteria and If the penicillin disks and E.Coli spend more time in the dish, then there will be more bacteria. The hypotheses were supported.
