Viral handprint photo shows the beauty of bacteria on us

When microbiologist Tasha Sturm performed a simple experiment with her eight-year-old son, she had no idea it would get so much attention online.

"I have been doing things like this for so long that it's normal to me... and my kids!" Sturm, a microbiology technician at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, told Yahoo Canada News.

Sturm asked her son to press his hand into a TSA plate after he came in from playing outside, which was filled with agar, a substance that contains the nutrients ideal for bacterial growth. It was then incubated for a week  at 37°C, then another several days at room temperature, which is the perfect for bacteria to flourish, and the result was an almost floral-looking design.

When she posted the photo to the website ASM Microbeworld, the stunning patterns attracted attention across the web, as people marvelled at the beauty of bacteria. But Sturm says it's pretty typical stuff for her line of work.

"The first [thing] lab students do is swab something in the classroom," Sturm said. "Cell phone, thumb print, bottom of the shoe... computer, etc. We incubate the plates and bring them out next class period to demonstrate that organisms are everywhere."

She says it's a popular activity with the students, and is popular at home, too, when she has leftover large plates that she takes home to let her kids create a "demo" for the next semester.

"My kids love it, as my son said it's "Cool!" and it's a good teaching tool all the way around," Sturm said. "We have been doing this for five-plus years now, and it never seems to get old. [The] only reason my daughter had to stop was that her hand outgrew the large plate!"

Sturm says she hasn't tested the bacteria on the plate yet, she can make some educated guesses about what's on there. And even though it may seem pretty frightening at first to think that all this bacteria can get on a child's hand while playing, it's really nothing to be worried about at all.

"...the large blob in the right corner of the plate... is most likely a Bacillus spp commonly seen in the environment and dirt, and there are several areas on the plate that have Bacillus. The smaller white colonies are possibly Staphylococcus spp whish is normal skin flora. The yellow and orange colonies could be Micrococcus, Serratia or yeast... again all normal flora or found in the environment, not harmful."

"[The] take-home message is that we are making the best possible environment for organisms to grow and that one colony equals one bacteria that has multiplied. Everything here is normal and as long as you have a healthy immune system, nothing to worry about."

In fact, all that bacteria can turn out to be a great thing for the human body.

"Exposure to organisms actually strengthens your immune system and is good for you... but in saying that, basic hygiene is a must especially after using the restroom and before eating."

Moral of the story: don't forget to wash your hands!