Yoga Mats Support the Growth of Staphylococcus aureus Tiffany King, Department of Biological Science, York College of Pennsylvania Introduction  Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a gram positive microorganism that causes numerous infections, from food poisoning to skin lesions (Toledo-Arana et al, 2005)  Development of antibiotics led to microbial resistance (Patel, 2007).  Resistance led to name: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Patel, 2007)  2 types of MRSA (Patel, 2007) o Community Acquired MRSA:  Sport setting  Healthy adolescents and adults o Nosocomial Acquired MRSA:  Affecting sick and elderly  Healthcare setting -Hospitals -Nursing homes  Increase number of MRSA cases over the years (Patel, 2007).  Seen much more frequently in volleyball, football, fencing, rugby and wrestling due to sharing equipment and clothing (Patel, 2007).  Many studies have examined the occurrence of MRSA over numerous gyms and athletes, but have not concentrated on growth on gym equipment. Research Questions 1)What bacteria, if any, are present on new yoga mats? 2) Can mats support growth of Staphylococcus aureus? Staphylococcus aureus (SA) growth Cut 1" mat area (6)Add 0.5 mL of SA broth to matsIncubate overnight at 37 ° CSA removal, absorbance reading Bacterial Assemblages 1" area swabbed for growth (4)Incubated overnight at 37 ° CClassified bacterial growth Results Bacterial Assemblages: Yoga MatAssemblages Terra Pure Eco G-rods: rough colony: + endospores, smooth colony: long rods, chains, thin Classic Yoga MatG- rods, long Clean FreakG+ cocci, clusters Natural FitnessNothing Staphylococcus growth: Table 2. Bacterial assemblages isolated from each yoga mat prior to experimentation Table 1. Total growth of Staphylococcus aureus on each mat Figure 1. The above graph shows the total growth exhibited by Staphylococcus aureus on each mat. The total growth was determined by subtracting the final absorbance from the initial. The data from the graph was analyzed using a one way ANOVA, which resulted in a p value of The p value showed a significant difference between the absorbance of Mat B to all the other mats. The greatest growth of Staphylococcus aureus was seen in Mat B, the Classic Yoga Mat. Materials Yoga Mats: A- Terra Pure Eco Yoga Mat Made of (Thermal Plastic Elastomers) TPE, no heavy metals, PVC, or toxic materials B- Classic Yoga Exercise Mat Closed cell PVC, 100% latex free C- Clean freak Sports Hygiene Yoga Mat Contain Triclosan (an antimicrobial compound). Made by 2thePoint innovations, inc. D- Natural Fitness Pro Natural open-celled rubber, biodegradable, contains no PVC, cadmium, or lead. Made by natural fitness Inc. Purpose To categorize bacteria colonizing yoga mats prior to being used. To analyze if yoga mats can support the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. It was hypothesized that yoga mats will support the growth of Staph. Discussion: 1)The Classic Yoga Mat showed the highest growth of SA. 2)Differences may be due to the type of material. Certain mats absorbed SA into the mat preventing colony isolation and leading to a lower absorbance reading. 3)SA growth on the Clean Freak mat could have exceeded the antibacterial threshold allowing for SA to growth and colonize the mat. This mat may be antibacterial up to 0.5mL of bacteria. 4)Research has found SA to be developing resistance to Triclosan, which may account for SA growth on Mat C (Suller 2000). Take Home Message: - MRSA is become more and more prevalent in gyms. Greater care must be taken to protect ourselves from possibly contracting MRSA. Literature Cited Patel, A., Fischer, S., Calfee,R., Plante,M., & Fadale, P Locker room acquired Methicillin- Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Orthopedics 30:532. Suller, M. and Russell,A Triclosan and antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 46: Toledo-Arana, A., Merino, N., Vergara-Irigaray,M., Debarbouille, M., Penades, J., and Lasa, I Staphylococcus aureus develops an alternative, ica-independent biofilm in the absence of the arlRS two-component system. Journal of Bacteriology 187: Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Mathur for her constant support and guidance during this project. 1 Absorbance at 280nm * Yoga MatTotal Growth 1 # of Colonies/mL Terra Pure Classic Yoga Clean Freak Natural Fitness00 Methods :