Biodiversity of the “mute” button (credit: C. Smith)
The BioBE Center has recently had the pleasure of collaborating with high school sophomore Caitlin Smith on her science fair project. Caitlin, a student at Dallastown Area High School in Dallastown PA, contacted the Center last fall to develop a project that fuses Caitlin’s interest in buildings and biology (topics close to our own hearts). Since then Caitlin has worked with BioBE members to develop a protocol for examining the diversity and density of indoor microbes in a number of household environments including tabletops, kitchen sinks, doorknobs, and television remotes. Caitlin has impressed us with her professionalism and scientific ambition, and we wish her the best of luck at the science fair on January 28! Stay tuned for photos and updates in the coming weeks.