111 posts tagged with bacteria.
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Looking for pictures of used/bacterially healthy aquarium filter media
I'm wondering what good, healthy, well-used aquarium filter media full of beneficial bacteria looks like, but I can't find any photos of filter media except new-looking stuff. Anybody got some good photos showing green/brown slime that is definitely the good stuff? Thanks!
Are my bean plants sick, or just stressed out?
I am growing green beans and they have just started to produce pods. I have noticed some dead patches on a few of the leaves (pictures) and I am worried it is a disease of some sort. Is it? And how should I treat it if so? [more inside]
Sitting Water In Hydroflask
I drank some water out of a 32 oz hydroflask, but with some water still left in it. I then misplaced it, found it but continued to ignore it for over half a year at work. I’ve now brought it home and dumped out the water. My question is, can I use this bottle again, and if so, how should I clean it so I don’t die?
Can beneficial soil bacteria survive in powder/tablet form?
I'm looking at sourcing organic fertilizer tablets from a local dutch company. Their product listing describes the tablets as containing "2% beneficial root bacteria" . Can beneficial bacteria actually survive like this in a dry, tablet form, inside a plastic package? [more inside]
What microsope should we get and what should we do with it?
As part of our 2 weeks home together due to the virus, I want to get a microscope and look at cool things with it. Please help advise which one we should get and some fun activities we can do (6th grader).
What happens if I skip the denaturing step when making yogurt?
My homemade yogurt frequently has a grainy texture and I’m trying to figure out how to fix it. There seem to be differing opinions about what causes this, including heating the milk too quickly, stirring the milk too much, and using a bad starter. I’m wondering what would happen if I skipped the initial high-heat step that’s meant to denature the milk proteins and kill competing bacteria. Is this a bad idea? [more inside]
A query for Filter-Filter
What happens if you literally never clean a water filtration pitcher? A friend of mine, A, got tired of their roommate never chipping in for filter replacement, and tired of an ongoing room-temp-or-refrigerated water squabble, and abandoned use of the household 'shared' pitcher, obtaining their own. Said roommate took over sole possession of the old Brita, but has literally not cleaned it or replaced the filter since then. This was... jeez, maybe a year ago, maybe more. Is the roommate going to make himself ill? Is A morally obliged to stage a filter intervention? [more inside]
Infections at Work
Since taking an antibiotic for an infection after some dental work, I've noticed that old skin discoloration around cuts and scrapes on my ankles are clearing up. I've had these blotches on my legs for at least a couple years but I noticed soon after starting the medicine, they began to fade. [more inside]
"Can I Eat It" Probiotic Pill edition
Received a delivery of Garden of Life's "Mood+" probiotics. They were delivered into my mailbox at 2pm (when I was not at home) and removed from my inbox when I arrived home at about 5:40pm. [more inside]
Antibiotic-Resident Bacteria coming to my town! Antibiotic alternatives?
The future of antibiotic-resistent bacteria is not good news for us. So what other ways to specifically combat dangerous bacteria have people in distant times and/or distant lands used? Assuming I'm already eating a good diet, getting enough sleep, living in a fairly hygienic situation, praying to God, and washing my hands a lot. [more inside]
Hairbrush and unflushed toilet: a mix made in hell.
I dropped my beloved hairbrush with natural bristles in my yet unflushed toilet: is it possible to make it sanitary and safe to use again, and if so, how? Should i just part ways with it? [more inside]
Bacteria, makeup and booze.
A few hours after applying makeup, my lower eyelid started itching and swelled up slightly, taking approximately two days to go back to normal. I'm suspecting a stye and wondering how to sanitize my make up effectively- will 95% non denatured ethyl alcohol/ethanol work? It is difficult to come by pure isopropyl alcohol where I am now. [more inside]
Is my lipstick growing bacteria?
I opened a rarely-used lipstick today and noticed little bumps on the sides - they look like the bacterial colonies we used to grow on plates back in microbiology classes, hence my question. [more inside]
Best way to quantify results from bacteria sample growth on petri dishes
3rd grade edition! My son grew bacteria on petri dishes for his science fair project. He collected samples from apples (unwashed, rinsed with water, rinsed with vinegar solution and water). The unwashed section grew fields of bacteria. The other sections are countable sometimes, sometimes with colonies. Does he just display photos or is there a way to graph or otherwise show the stark difference between unwashed and washed? [more inside]
Is this true?
A shop clerk told me today that it wasn't safe for food to go from being frozen, to being in the fridge at the grocery store, to being frozen again in the freezer at my home. [more inside]
Can I put this on my face?
What are the odds my face wash got contaminated with my grody eye bacteria? [more inside]
Will covering myself in bacteria keep me safe from fungus?
I have some chronic patches of ringworm and seem to get new patches very easily. I have been treated multiple times by doctors with creams and one six-week course of oral antifungals. I wrestle, play in the dirt, and pet dogs, so I will continue to get exposed. Will ammonia oxidizing bacteria help? [more inside]
Should I Eat It: Holiday Edition
So I screwed up.
We're having early Thanksgiving this weekend. My wife picked up a local turkey, frozen, stored it in a refrigerator, and gave it to me to take home and do either a sink thaw or put it in our fridge. "Don't leave it in the car," she said.
Guess what? [more inside]
I know, I know, it's cereus
Is there somehow less of a problem with Bacillus cereus in Japanese rice? I often see remarks like this one about not refrigerating onigiri, and about leaving rice in the rice cooker for hours if not days and continuing to eat it. The worst food poisoning I have ever had was from B. cereus, so I am hypersensitive to rice preparation and storage. [more inside]
Antimicrobial foods?
I have a tendency towards Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR). I've noticed that eating potatoes or bananas dramatically alleviates my LPR. [more inside]
What would happen if I put my living yeast in various places?
I just started my first batch of homebrew cider using Lalvin EC-1118. I had a little yeast left over, and didn't want to throw it away, so I fed it some apple juice and honey. I started wondering about what I could do with it, but a little voice said to me "ah, better think twice about this." [more inside]
Probiotics during/after antibiotics?
I'm on a course of antibiotics, so I'd like to begin re-colonizing myself with some helpful gut flora. Totally willing to get whatever from wherever; there are Whole Foods and various hippie stores (no slight intended) around where I can purchase food or pills, if I need something not available at a mainstream big box retailer or grocery store. [more inside]
Freezing marinated chicken?
Hi! Quick question. My dear mother gave me more marinated chicken fillets than I can possibly eat at once. They've been marinating for a day, have not been frozen yet. Can I freeze some of them?
Should I eat this?
Another one of metafilter's favorite topics. Fridge left open since 7am (CDT) this morning. Just discovered 20 minutes ago, so approximately 5 hours ago. It was only left open a crack because one of the drawers was part way open. Is everything a totally loss? Some things are still cool to the touch. [more inside]
Sweat -- do I have to wash it off (besides for smell purposes)?
I've been looking for info on showering/bathing in relation to sweating and whether it's sanitary or not. I can only seem to find articles that basically say "yeah, you need to shower cause you'll smell" but can't find anything that confirms whether or not it's actually sanitary or not e.g. infections. What do ya'll think/know? [more inside]
Help me figure out this very perplexing stomach bug
YANMD, and I understand that the internet cannot diagnose a medical issue. However, I am wondering if anyone has experienced the same symptoms in regards to a stomach bug, whether viral or bacteria. I am just trying to get some perspective on what my body is doing, and whether or not this seems in-line with something that will likely clear on its own. I'm not in severe pain, but will definitely see a doctor if things take a turn for the worse. I've had SEVERAL unhelpful, or frankly harmful, doctor visits in the past year, so I am (justifiably so) wanting to wade this out for a bit longer. [more inside]
How many viruses could we eradicate?
This may end up in a story, it may not... But this occurred to me the other day. We all learned in school that viruses need a host, bacteria do not. Therefore if we all voluntarily quarantined ourselves for two weeks, how many potential viruses could we wipe out? [more inside]
Save my gut flora.
I'm about to bomb my body with a double dose of powerful, wide spectrum antibiotics. What can I really do to help save/repopulate my gut flora? [more inside]
He already ate it
So almost two weeks ago, we picked up a box of chocolate kisses from a market in Germany. They are delicious egg white and sugar treats covered in chocolate. [more inside]
I wanna eat these leftovers! Just not right now.
If I freeze this soup, will it be edible once defrosted and warmed up? Difficulty level: squid. [more inside]
Get in my belly, bacteria filled fishcake.
Can I eat these fishcakes? [more inside]
Do I eat this? I really don't want to get sick.
Toss or eat? Yesterday's (restaurant-made) spaghetti in meat sauce that was unrefrigerated for about 10 hrs today. [more inside]
Can you suggest some books for an Ebola leisure reader?
Can you help me expand my “popular epidemiology” book collection by recommending books that are similar to The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett and the following titles? [more inside]
A biological explanation of food poisoning please
What is happening in the body when food poisoning occurs? Are the symptoms defensive actions or purely symptomatic? [more inside]
What was that article about colonies of bacteria acting like actual historical cities?
Help me find an article about bacteria modeling human behavior at a macro level. My google-fu is failing me. [more inside]
Did I give my boyfriend cavities?
I had untreated cavities. Now my boyfriend has cavities and his dentist blames me and says we shouldn't kiss. To what degree is this true? [more inside]
Why doesn't our autoclave sterilize our broth?
Why is weird stuff growing in my flasks of 1% tryptone broth after I've autoclaved them to mix and sterilize the broth? [more inside]
Kill them all! Or at least prevent their birth.
I need to keep scientific samples (chips) in solution for weeks at a time, and they're growing bacteria. I suspect biologists have a good way of dealing with this, since they tend to do more solution work than I do; are any of you out there able to point me in the right direction in terms of UV lamps or something similar? [more inside]
Neti pot panic
I used a neti pot with plain tap water and the saline solution. Then I read that you could get brain-eating bacteria from it. I am at work having a panic attack now. Hope me, Metafilter! [more inside]
Bacteria and viruses texts
Please suggest texts about bacteria and viruses. [more inside]
Mixing infant formula with hot water
Question about infant formula milk and hot water [more inside]
Infectious hallucinations?
What would be the best way to create an infective agent that caused hallucinations? I was thinking a virus that modifed serotonin to psilocin - but how exactly would this take place in the cell, and how would a hypothetical virus catalyse that process? Is it realistic for a modern virology lab to design such a virus? I considered a bacterial vector, but I figure that bacterial infection of the CNS would probably just straight-up kill you due to the host response? Perhaps a bacterial species that just hangs out in your gut and squirts out psilocin that it synthesises itself, rather than having to methylate free serotonin? I know a fair bit of biochemistry but not much at all about microbiology, if that helps guide your explanations.
Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy
Bacterial Vaginosis during pregnancy, is Flagyl safe? [more inside]
Is it unsanitary to do yoga on shared bathroom floor?
Is it unsanitary to do yoga on the bathroom floor? [more inside]
Now how did this happen...
ProteinFilter: Anyone ever worked with a protein that forms a filmy mess after purification? [more inside]
Disinfecting stinky leather without damaging it beyond use?
My all-leather combat boots stink. Probably colonized by fungus. Looking to disinfect and wash without murdering the old, already mildly damaged leather. [more inside]
beef beef
Have I ruined my organic beef? [more inside]
Why did all my jam "fall" to the TOP of the jar?
Why did all my jam "fall" to the TOP of the jar? I got some store-bought jam, used it once, then put it in the fridge. The next time I went to use it (about 2 weeks later), all the jam was moved to the top of the jar, up against the lid, as though it had been stored upside down. At the bottom of the jar was an empty gap. What caused this? [more inside]
Did I just murder my Kefir grains?
Did I murder my Kefir grains? [more inside]
Which antibiotics will kill bacteria but allow yeast to grow?
Is there a broad spectrum antibiotic that will kill / slow down most bacteria, but will not affect yeast at all? [more inside]