Hobbies And Interests
Optimal Conditions
Like all organisms, mold thrives best in certain conditions. Sprinkle a few drops of water on several pieces of bread, then insert each into a plastic sandwich bag and seal tightly. Put one in average lighting and room temperature conditions. This is a good control for comparison. Put one in a dark room, one in a bright room, one in a cold room and one in a hot room. In addition, put a damp paper towel in one bag and sprinkle salt on another slice of bread; put both of these in a room with average lighting and temperature. You can use other conditions to expand the experiment further. Monitor each piece of bread daily for a week or so and record how much of the bread is covered with mold, giving an estimated percentage and noting any odd trends. Record your findings with a camera, as well, so that you have photographs for your presentation at the fair. When you have finished, throw the bags away without opening them. Be sure to label each bag as you conduct the experiment so that you know which sample has been exposed to which conditions. In your discussion, consider why we preserve foods in refrigerators and why salt is a common preservative.
Optimal Foods
Conduct an experiment to discover which foods molds grow on most easily. Cut small pieces of several foods, such as cheese, bread or apples. Don't use meats, which will become smelly quickly. Try to get a variety of food and use a scale to weigh all of the pieces so that they are about the same size. Dip each food in water or sprinkle a few drops of water on top, and put each into a sealed jar or bag. Put each in the same location with the same conditions. Monitor each piece of food daily, noting which has the most mold growth by estimating the percentage of coverage. Also, observe the foods and determine if the same species of mold is growing on each item by seeing if the same colors and shapes of mold are forming on each. Use a magnifying glass to help you. Again, take photographs and throw the containers away without opening them after the experiment.
Mold Reproduction
Mold reproduces by releasing microscopic spores. Take a piece of bread and sprinkle some water on it. Put it in a sealed plastic bag and wait for a significant mold growth to develop. Then sprinkle water on two other pieces of bread. Put one in a sealed plastic bag. Label the bag "control," as you will use this slice for comparison. Put on a mask and gloves, then take the piece of moldy bread from the bag and shake it over the other slice of bread. Put that bread into another sealed bag and label it "experiment." Observe both slices of bread and record which starts growing mold faster. Photograph your results. To expand the experiment, try shaking the first piece of moldy bread over a new piece of bread every day for three or four days to determine on which day the mold is at its optimum for reproduction. Throw all of the bags away without opening them after the experiment has ended.
Species of Mold
Work with some friends to see if different types of mold grow in different locations. Prepare several identical pieces of bread by sprinkling some water on them and sealing them in plastic bags. However, have each member of the group prepare the bread at his or her home. Try to keep as many conditions the same as possible, such as light and temperature. After everyone has significant mold growth on his or her bread, compare the pieces to one another. Be sure to label each bag so that you know which came from which location, and take a photo of each sample. If you have the equipment available, prepare a slide from each mold growth and try to determine if you have different species on each slice.