Bioselfies at WISE FEstival

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science a team from the University of Salford headed to the WISE festival at the British Library in London to take Bioselfies.

Like a selfie, it is unique to you. Rather than the image being of a face, it is a self-portrait created by your own bacteria with each one being different demonstrating the diversity of microorganisms that live in our skin and mouths.

A swab is used to gather bacteria from your mouth and then from behind your ear.  Using the swab like a paint brush, participants are invited to make their own creation on a special plate.  The plates are then put in incubated microbiology labs to allow the microorganisms grown. A few days later a Bioselfie is revealed.

Dr Chloe James, senior lecturer in Medical Microbiology at the university said: “A Bioselfie is a fun and interactive way to spark an interest into the world of bacteria in our bodies.  Encouraging more women and girls into the science sector is important the university and events like this make the subject accessible for those who may think it is not for them.”

To find out more about Bioselfies click here

You can follow the conversation on social @microbihome tagging #Bioselfies