Pop-Up Shop 2025: Invisible Germs

Have a look through a microscope to see the hidden world of microbes.

An activity to get close up with different micro-organisms and appreciate their size and their variety.

The station featured four microscopes where visitors could explore fixed slides with the following microbes:

  • E. coli as an example of a Gram-negative bacterium

  • Staphylococcus aureus as an example of a Gram-positive bacterium

  • the mould (and antibiotic producer) Penicillium

  • and the freshwater protist Paramecium

This activity was combined with a colourful and playful display of ‘giant microbes’ illustrating the enormous breadth of micro-organisms.

The display covered bacteria such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Clostridioides difficile; viruses including rhinovirus, Ebola and swine flu; protozoa such as Plasmodium falciparum and Giardia lamblia; and the black mould, Stachybotrys chartarum.



➡️ Pop-Up Shop 2025

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