Project:

Diversity of Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance in Organic Produce

Students:

Ida Kulidzan, Kimya Firoozan

Institution:

Benjamin N. Cardozo and Stuyvesant, Queens

Mentors:

Marianne Williams

Abstract:

Even though most people consider fruits and vegetables salubrious, previous research studies have found multiple bacteria that could pose a threat to human health in various produce. Furthermore, past research has shown that organic chicken has more antibiotic-resistant bacteria than non-organic chicken. The bacteria from chicken are usually killed while cooking the meat, but what about the food that is not prepared before it is consumed? We wanted to compare the types of bacteria found in organic and non-organic produce, to determine if organic vegetables are really the healthier option. Our hypothesis was that there will be more antibiotic-resistant bacteria in organic produce than in non-organic produce. We cultured the bacteria from produce on non-selective medium TSA and used DNA barcoding and Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing with Mueller Hinton Agar plates. Through our experiment, we found out that multi-drug resistant bacteria were present in organic produce.

Poster:

Team samples: