• Question: Are there loads of germs in the world. Have you ever done research on it?

    Asked by Lego Rules to Áine, Ciarán, Eoin, Lydia, Victoria on 20 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Lydia Bach

      Lydia Bach answered on 20 Nov 2014:

      Hiya!

      I have done a little bit of research on some bacteria as part of my homework for my uni course.
      We were looking at what kind of bacteria we could find in each others noses. Turns out many of us had Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterium that lives on the skin, but more rarely in people’s noses.

    • Photo: Ciarán O'Brien

      Ciarán O'Brien answered on 20 Nov 2014:

      There are probably more germs in the world than all other living things combined. The numbers involved when you work with bacteria are just amazing, there are trillions of them living in each person, and more in the oceans and soil. My first research project was on bacteria found living in ocean sponges. There were loads in there too.

      One thing I’ve found out from trying to work out the different types of bacteria in your gut is that it’s nearly impossible to get all of them. There are trillions of them in there, but some types aren’t as numerous and can get lost in the crowd. Also the technology we have to find them isn’t perfect, and it prefers to find bacteria we already know about instead of new kinds.

      It’s the same wherever you’re looking for bacteria. There are always more than you think, and you’ll probably miss a chunk of them. Scientists are working on ways to improve that, but it’s slow going.

      But so many unanswered questions is why I love what I do! 🙂

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