Yogurt Science Fair Projects for Kids

Experiment with Microbes right in your home. Simple science fair projects are what most students prefer to complete. However, every now and then you need to take on a more challenging project. 2 month science fair project ideas on microbiology can help you to examine science concepts more in-depth then quick projects allow you to do.

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Experiment: Making Yogurt

Objective

In this experiment you will investigate the optimal starter cultures for making yogurt from whole milk.

Procedure

"Yogurt is a fermented milk product which originated in Turkey in which a mixed culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (or occasionally L. acidophilus) and Streptococcus thermophilus produce lactic acid during fermentation of lactose. The lactic acid lowers the pH and makes it tart and causes the milk protein to thicken. The partial digestion of the milk when these bacteria ferment milk makes yogurt easily digestible. In addition, these bacteria will help settle GI upset including that which follows oral antibiotic therapy by replenishing non-pathogenic flora of the gastrointestinal tract.

"Several factors are crucial for successful yogurt making:

In this experiment you will investigate fermentation by making your own yogurt. You will try different yogurt products as starter cultures to test which factors are important to the fermentation process. You will also learn how to culture (grow) microorganisms, and how to use sterile techniques so that you won't contaminate your cultures.

Learning how to make a 3D model of a plant cell is not difficult to do. All you need to complete microbiology science fair projects are a few references like a sun as energy activity sheet, project of biology references and a few basic construction materials.

If you are using this project as a learning activity then you will want to take notes during your experiment. Your notes will need to include the steps you take, the ingredients you use, the temperature of your samples, your observations and measurements of ingredients and additives. When you write an observation in your microbiology science fair projectsjournal make sure you include as much detail as you can. For example, include remarks about the colors you see, the smells you smell, if there is foaming or bubbling, if the liquid seems to be thickening, etc.

While sample edible food science fair projects like the one above most likely will not win a science fair, it will provide you with ideas for developing a better project. For example, you can expand on the concepts you learned in the above experiment to test various properties of the fermention and the use of cultures. You may want to see if heat impacts the fermentation process during yogurt making, or you may want to see if yogurt can be used to treat diseases and ailments such as a yeast infection. A word of caution, if you work with bacteria and other biolocial agents, you need to take extra steps to protect yourself, others and your project from becoming contaminated or infected.