Corn Syrup Effects on microbial growth Antonio LaPorte - Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School Grade 9

Variable – Corn Syrup (KaRo) Highly present in developed countries’ diets Made from starch of corn Contains maltose and higher oligosaccharides Also contains salt and potassium

Model Bacteria Escherichia coli Prokaryotic, gram negative, unicellular, bacterial cell Intestinal mammalian symbiont Inexpensive laboratory variable, easily cultured

Purpose Determine how corn syrup affects health of microbes found in majority of mammals Serves as insight as to how corn syrup affects human health

Human Microflora Bacteria that primarily thrive on the surface of the skin, respiratory, urinary, and digestive systems Most are completely harmless, or even beneficial, with few being harmful Human body possesses a series of this cell, cell product, and symbiont relationships that ensure the body survives Because the cells rely on this relationship with bacteria, if their health is altered, so is the human

Hypotheses Null Hypothesis No quantity of Corn Syrup will affect the growth of E. Coli beyond chance Alternative Hypothesis Any quantity of corn syrup will affect the growth of E. Coli beyond chance

Materials 20 sidearm flasks Klett spectrophotometer Pipettes Micropipettes Sterile Tips 100ml sterile fluid (0.90% w/v of NaCl, 308 mOsm/L or 9.0 g per liter) 120ml LB media(0.5% yeast extract, 1%tryptone, 1% sodium chloride) 12ml E. Coli 20 ml corn syrup

Procedure The following substances were pipetted into 20 sidearm flasks in the order of left to right. Flasks closed and covered in tinfoil Growth of E. Coli measured every 30 minutes with a Klett spectrophotometer for 8 hours   Sterile fluid LB media E. Coli Corn Syrup 5 flasks 0% 4.5ml 5ml .5ml 0ml 5 flasks 1% 4.3ml .2ml 5 flasks 5% 3.5ml 1ml 5 flasks 10% 2.5ml 2ml

Data Time elapses from left to right 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 0% 11.2 12.6 14.8 16.6 17.6 22.8 29.6 32 34.6 37 37.4 39 41.6 42 43 1% 17.8 19.8 21.8 22.4 25 57.2 67 78.8 83.6 94.4 103.8 117.4 125.6 132.4 5% 15.4 18 20.6 21.2 24.2 34 53.2 58.8 64 68 76.2 86 93.2 103.4 111.4 10% 18.6 23.2 24.8 30.6 47 48.2 56.4 59.4 65.2 71.6 77.4 83 88.6 Time elapses from left to right

Graphs of Results

Analysis P-value rejects null, Using the Dunnett test, all groups vary from the control (1%, 5%, 10%) 8.24653E-58

Conclusion Reject null, corn syrup has increased growth of E. Coli in all circumstances Corn syrup increasing growth in small quantities is, though increasing harmless bacteria growth, ultimately significantly altering the fragile microbiome of the digestive system

Limitations/improvements Test other common synthesized saccharides The Klett spectrophotometer used in this test was exceptionally old and worn, consider newer measuring tools

Works Cited https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/185711?resultClick=1 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0190206 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24813075 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/adj.12074

Results of Anova Anova: Single Factor SUMMARY Groups Count Sum Average Variance Column 1 20 311 15.55 18.05 Column 2 345 17.25 21.35526316 Column 3 392 19.6 25.93684211 Column 4 417 20.85 24.66052632 Column 5 458 22.9 19.67368421 Column 6 624 31.2 65.43157895 Column 7 934 46.7 145.4842105 Column 8 1030 51.5 206.4736842 Column 9 1169 58.45 296.6815789 Column 10 1240 62 328.6315789 Column 11 1366 68.3 485.8 Column 12 19 1394 73.36842105 603.6900585 Column 13 1648 82.4 830.9894737 Column 14 1770 88.5 1043.210526 Column 15 1777 88.85 1526.660526 ANOVA Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit Between Groups 204874.0162 14 14633.8583 38.98402643 8.24653E-58 1.726728606 Within Groups 106608.1711 284 375.380884 Total 311482.1873 298