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5 March 2004

Editorial: Microbiology and citizen science

Forrest M. Mims III

The "Backscatter" column of the 27 February 2004 edition of the E-Bulletin included two letters from Tim Davis about microbiology. The first letter discussed infections associated with ear piercings that can be caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosaa. The second letter was about bacteria in soap scum on shower curtains.

"Can somebody put together a program to have thousands of citizen scientists analyze the gook in their showers?" Davis asked.

These letters from Tim Davis rang a chord with E-Bulletin readers, some of whom sent letters endorsing microbiology studies by citizen scientists.

This is a field ripe for study, as many middle and senior high school students have demonstrated time after time in clever science fair projects.

Students and citizen scientists who are studying bacteria and other microbes are invited to submit to the E-Bulletin lab tips and reports on their work. It's best to first send an e-mail describing your project. If your proposed contribution might interest other citizen scientists, we will contact you about what to do next.

Meanwhile, please see the installment of "Science Notebook" for 5 March 2004. There I discuss some basic tips for aspiring student and citizen microbiologists.