1. By ReNee, Lisa, Meaghan and Elizabeth
Do different types of bread mold at different rates when saturated WITH WATER?
By ReNee, Lisa, Meaghan and Elizabeth

2. QUESTION AND PREDICTION
QUESTION: Do different types of bread mold at different rates when saturated with water?
PREDICTION: We thought that the doughnut would mold the fastest due to the amount of sugar and oil it contains. We thought that the English muffin would mold the slowest because it was had less moisture in it to begin with.

3. Materials We used six different types of bread 7 Grain Sourdough
Doughnut
White Preservative-Free Bread
English Muffin Whole-Grain
Bagel Cinnamon Crunch
Petri Dish
Water
Notebooks
Transparency Graph
Adhesive Tape

4. VARIABLES Constant Variables Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Light
Air
Water
Temperature
Independent Variable
Different Types of Bread
Dependent Variable
Rate of Mold Growth

5. PROCEDURE
Step 1: Gather the six different types of bread (keep the original white bread from the previous experiment to ensure all conditions are the same)
Step 2: Cut slices to fit the size of each graph which will lay on top of each dish. Then place each slice of bread into a different Petri-dish
Step 3: Dampen each slice of bread with three even sprays from the spray bottle
Step 4: Seal each Petri dish with adhesive tape with transparent graph centered on top of each lid
Step 5: Create chart to record data, see next slide for example
Step 6: For the next three weeks, on Mondays and Wednesdays, record the number of squares on the transparency that the mold covers

6. EXAMPLE OF DATA CHART FROM SCIENTIFIC NOTEBOOK
Day
7 Grain
White Bread
Bagel
English muffin
Sour
Dough
Doughnut

7. MOLD DATA
Day
7 Grain
White Bread
Bagel
English muffin
Sour
Dough
Doughnut
1 2/15/10
3 2/17/10
8 2/22/10 13 45 1
10 2/24/10 29 91
15 3/1/10 61
100 2
17 3/3/10
104
22 3/8/10
144 49

8. Mold growth data

9. Mold Pictures
White
English Muffin
Sourdough
7-Grain
Doughnut
Bagel

10. Our Conclusion
We have found that the different types of bread, when saturated with water, do not influence the mold growth, however, the presence of preservatives influences how quickly the bread molds
The 7 Grain and the White Bread were preservative free and they molded quickly and fiercely
The English Muffin, Doughnut, Sourdough, and Bagel contained preservatives and molded slowly if at all

11. Support for Conclusion
Dr. Fred Stein, consulting educator for greatschools.org states that, “Preservative-free bread is a wonderful medium for producing mold, which grows from spores (the mold equivalent of plant seeds) that are already present on the bread.” a-bread-mold-garden.gs?content=148
Diane Helmuth, Douglas County Extension Specialist for Food and Nutrition states in her article, “Preservative Free Bread Needs Refrigeration” To see her article go to: &id=LKgyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R- cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4399,

12. Support for Conclusions Continued
“There are two general approaches that can be taken to reduce mold growth on bread. Reduced water activity and chemical preservatives,” says Ed O’Neil, Microbiologist from the MADSCI Network.