Some of the smallest organisms, including bacteria and fungi, make up the largest group of living things on earth. Fungi, such as moulds may cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems when eaten or inhaled while other fungi, such as yeasts play an important role in the processing of foods and beverages that many people enjoy. Bacteria are small single-celled organisms that in some instances can be harmful, such as those present in a case of food poisoning. Other species, however, are extremely beneficial. According to an expert, we would not survive without bacteria as "all life on Earth depends on their activities." Both these micro-organisms are found in nearly every environment, and can be free-living or dependant on other organisms for survival. They also impact our everyday lives: they are present in the food we eat, in the medicines we are prescribed, they sometimes spoil our lunch boxes and affect our health as they can cause sickness and infections.
In this project, we are going to determine which micro-organisms are present in which environments. Swab samples will be collected from different material such as diseased plants, a human mouth, a dog mouth and even from a bathroom. These samples will be tested to identify the micro-organisms as bacteria or fungi. Secondly, we will compare the bacterial life present in different dairy products including full cream, low fat and long life milk. In this way we will be able to determine the impact of bacteria on these products.
We will be able to identify which fungi and bacteria we encounter on a daily basis that we are not even aware of!
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