Awards Given By The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Senior Section

Hannah M. Kaufman
Region: Newberry, Florida
Category: Microbiology Science
School: Newberry High School
Award: $1,000 Savings Bond and Plaque
Project Title: Do Salmonella montevideo G4639 and Escherichia coli 0157:H7
Survive Better on Waxed or Unwaxed Tomatoes?

Project Synopsis:
Do Salmonella montevideo G4639 and Escherichia coli 0157:H7 Survive Better
on Waxed or Unwaxed Tomatoes?

The purpose of the project was to determine how well Salmonella montevideo G4639 and
Escherichia coli 0157:H7 survive on surfaces of waxed versus unwaxed tomatoes.

Twelve waxed and twelve unwaxed tomatoes were inoculated with rifampicin resistant cultures
of Salmonella montevideo G4639 and Escherichia coli 0157:H7 on previously marked stem
scar, intact, and punctured areas. After drying three hours, the inoculated areas were removed from three waxed and three unwaxed tomatoes. The remaining inoculated tomatoes were refrigerated. The sample areas were each placed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) with Tween, agitated, and the resulting suspension was plated on triptych soy agar with
supplements (TSA-S). After the plates were incubated for 24 hours, the bacterial colonies were counted. The process was repeated on day seven, fourteen, and twenty-one with the remaining tomatoes. The entire experiment was repeated a second time.

It was hypothesized that the bacteria would survive better on the unwaxed tomatoes due to the surface structure. It was concluded that the hypothesis was incorrect. Both waxed and
unwaxed tomatoes initially showed higher bacterial numbers on the intact areas, but were
below detectable limits after day one (<50cfu/ml). On the punctured areas the waxed tomatoes exhibited higher bacterial numbers. The stem scar area on both waxed and unwaxed tomatoes demonstrated the greatest survival of bacteria. Overall, the bacteria survived better on waxed than on unwaxed tomatoes.

Junior Section

Tara E. Barrett
Region: Fort Pierce, Florida
Category: Botany Science
School: Lincoln Park Academy
Award: $1,000 Savings Bond and Plaque
Project Title: Do Genetically Engineered Plants Germinate Quicker Than Plants
That Are Natural?

Project Synopsis:
Do Genetically Engineered Plants Germinate Quicker Than Plants That Are Natural?

The purpose of this experiment was to find out whether or not plants that have been genetically engineered would germinate quicker than plants that have been naturally grown.

To test the hypothesis 100 seeds from a plant that was naturally grown and 100 seeds that
came from a plant that was genetically engineered had to be planted in tow separate foil pans
divided into four sections with tape. The plants’ growth was observed for two weeks. The foil pan that was labeled #1 Natural had 17 out of 25 plants grow for the first section, the second
section had 22 out of 25 grow. The average of all four sections was 19. In the foil pan marked
#2 Transgenic had 19 out of 25 plants grow in the first section, the second section had 23 out
of 25 grow, the third section had 25 out of 25 grown, and the fourth section had 23 out of 25
grow. The average of all four sections was 22.2. Thirty-six of the best plants from each foil pan
were chosen and transplanted to twenty-four cups with the soil mixture (soil, peat moss, and
vermiculite). Twelve of the cups were labeled #1 Natural and the other twelve were labeled #2
Transgenic. Each cup had three plants in it and they were placed into a room with fluorescent
lights at a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius. Two of the three weakest plants were eliminated and the growth of the remaining plants, were observed and recorded weekly for six weeks. At the end of the six weeks the plants ere weighed and disposed of.

The gene that was injected into the genetically engineered plant did not influence the plants
growth. The naturally grown plants and the transgenic plants didn’t have a significant difference in growth.