Revised 1997 August

This page explains what is on every science page of our site. This page also shows pages which are planned. Pages shown in LINK blue are ready to use or will be installed very soon. To get useful information to you quickly, we often install pages and then add further details later. Use this page to find all the pages related to your interests. About 150 pages science pages will be installed during 1998. Click S1 for lab supplies and AD for classified ads.

Introductory Pages for Beginners. These experiments have low safety risk and many are suitable for elementary students. If you start one of these simple experiments, you will probably think of something to add to it as you work. By adding your ideas to the project or trying some of the more advanced experiments below, you can turn a simple project into a spectacular study that lasts months or years. That is the way most important discoveries are made; a scientist works in an area of interest, and he finds something new and unexpected. Be a bold explorer, start a water jar or something today!
Series A are pages of simple experiments for beginners.
Series I: easy beginner texts introduce microbes, chem, genetics, computers, insects, plants,

A1 Water Jars. Collect pond water and watch a succession of algae and animals grow.
A2 Dung Jars. Grow a succession of missle-firing fungi and toadstools from horse dung. No smell!
GLOSS A glossary to help you understand unfamiliar words used in this site.
I1 Introduction to how scientific discoveries are made; you need a prepared mind and some luck.
I2 Introduction to Microbiology: yeasts, bacteria, fungi, protozoa
I3 Introduction to Chemistry. What is useful to a beginner and for college preparation.
I4 Introduction to Genetics. The fundamentals and the exciting areas of current research.
I5 Introduction to Scientific Names: Genus species; in latin from greek or latin words

Bacteria are single celled organisms having a variety of shapes and metabolisms not mentioned in most school books. These pages start with safe bacteria used in foods and progress to recent discoveries. It is nearly unbelieveable what bacteria do for us. Most are beneficial. Some are too dangerous to handle without special equipment (isolation hoods, vaccinations, etc.).

B Introduction to Bacteria: Friends and Foes
B00 Believe It or Not ............ interesting facts about bacteria ............ all are believed true.
B01 Bacteria used in foods: sauerkraut, selective media vs pure culture methods, Pasteur.
B02 Using common home items to learn Pure Culture Methods; isolate Brevibacterium from cheese.
B03 Buying a few items enables laboratory type methods of identification and culture.
B04 Useful bacteria media using only household items, introduces defined media.
B05 Simple media used at Indiana Biolab to maintain 2000 stock cultures of bacteria.
B06 Simple diagnostic media for good introduction to identification of common bacteria genera.
B07 More diagnostic media for the advanced student.
B08 Bacteria Stains. You must stain bacteria to see them unless using phase contrast microscope.
B10 Introduction to growth requirements of bacteria; see B to B05 for background.
B11 Oxygen requirements of bacteria. Glucose-Shake-Tube. Aerobes, anaerobes, facultatives.
B12 Osmotic requirements of Bacteria: high salt and high sugar vs low salt and low sugar.
B13 Optimum growth temperatures of bacteria: near freezing to near boiling. Habitats give clues.
B14 Nutritional requirements of bacteria. Chemolithotrophs, organotrophs.
B15 pH requirements of bacteria. Few can grow in very acidic or very alkaline environments.
B20 Intoduction to the taxonomy of bacteria; How they are classified and named; Genus species
B21 Introduction to the main genera of bacteria. Traits that make them useful in nature and foods.
B22-B29 Detailed study of bacteria genera.
B30 Introduction to advanced isolation of bacteria
B31 Isolating more bacteria from dairy foods.
B32-B39 Enrichment cultures and other methods for isolating bacteria from foods and nature. Include advanced home canning and fermentations here. sterilazi and add pure cultures now in industry
B40 bacterial genetics series

Bacteriophages are viruses that attack bacteria but do not attack animals. Phages offer a cheap, safe way to study viruses. Since some phages can complete a generation in 20 minutes, phages are superb for genetics and many other studies. They are easily isolated from most wet environments. They are plentiful in milk, water, soils, sewage, oceans, lakes, and streams.

P1 Phage experiments using household items. However agar is practically required.
P11 Isolating phages from foods or the environment. Requires agar. Plastic dishes can be reused.
P13 Isolating phages attacking Bacillus from soil
P?? to P?? Phage life cycle. Phage in genetics expts

Career Development The main goal of our science pages is to help young people understand how they can get started on a career in science or use science as an important part of their general knowledge. We believe most education is self-education, even in the classroom, because we learn only when we are interested in something.

YHL Your Home Laboratory helps a student or adult start his own laboratory without buying any thing at first. A simple laboratory is useful on farms, in shops, an for self-study.

CD1 Explains the academic pathway to becoming a scientist or technician. HS, College, Graduate study, masters degree, Ph. D. degree, postdoctoral studies, internships, and how to pay for all this.

hhh Suggested high school and college courses for the student wishing to become a scientist.

Computer Science and The Web. Not everyone can afford a nice computer. At Indiana Biolab we get lots of use out of old, rebuilt computers. We plan to show you how to learn more from a $5 used computer than most people learn with an expensive one. We will show you how to search the web and find just what you want and how to write your own homepage (website) which will appeal to people around the world.

W0 simple introducton to computer sci, some history, show they did lots with 256 bytes of RAM
W1 What you can learn using $5 computers from yard sales. rebuilding them with $1 parts
W2 How to select or build your own computer; builds on experience from using old computers like hle did during 1996
W1 How to use this Web Site. Ideas for the beginner. Assistance for the experienced.

Entomology is the study of insects. Insects are the largest class of animals on earth. There are so many species that the amateur may still make contributions to their life histories, foods, and habits. They make clean, cheap pets and engrossing science projects. Learn to collect, identify, handle, rear, and study them. Can insects learn?

A3 Bio-Control. Introduction using natural controls for insects. Also links to the Cornell site.
xxx gall forming insects
xxx leaf miners
xxx leaf rolling insects
E37 web sites related to biological control of insects

Genetics is the study of inheritance. Also see Bacteriophages, Bacterial, fungi, .......

G1 Introduction to genetics. The study of inheritance from Mendel to genome sciences.
G2to G19 Chi-square etc
G 20 --> molecular basis of genetics, results of recent decades
G?? overlapping with Genome Sciences secion

Genome Sciences The international cooperative effort to sequence the genomes of many organisms is generating so much data we can barely comprehend it. New computer programs, machine methods of sequencing, biochem, ...... are needed.

GS series provide students data and methods to begin delving into current genome work.

Laboratory Safety There are definite risks in working in a laboratory (fires, infections, wounds, explosions, etc). Students need to be learn these risks and how to avoid injury.

LS1 An introduction to chemical, electrical, microbial, immunological, and fire hazards.

Laboratory Methods Much of one's success in science depends upon the methods he is able to think of and use. Some general methods and techniques are grouped here. Others are under the topic where they are used.

LM1 Using glassware. Pipets, graduates
LM2 Using ammonia selective ion electrode to measure ammonia and Ammonium in sewage

Science Project Planning Many students never get started because they can't find a really good project. Begin by picking anything that interests you and do something, as you work, ideas for new, improved experiments will come to you. That is how successful scientists get started.

SP1 Brief reports of projects recently started by students. You can send them an email.
SP2 Science Project Reports by successful students to help you select and begin a science project. Read how a lad's science project gave us nice strawberries and saved his life, 200 years ago!
SP3 How to get started on a science project. Its best to do a project for the fun of it.
SP4 A list of projects and how to begin them; suggestions by leading scientists.
SP5 Seasonal Science Projects. This guide helps you plan your nature study projects year-round.

Science Stories A wide variety of stories about students and scientists giving details of how they worked and how discoveries were made. Fun to read and ideas for your project or career.

SS1 Butler and Ejeta breed sorghum grain resistant to a parasitic plant in Africa, etc.

Start Your Own Business New science and technology businesses have led the current economy. Many adults run businesses they started as a kid. Making money from your science hobby can be a strong motivator and may help you pay for college or win a scholarship.

AD1 Here you can advertise your product, business, meeting, organization. Helps support this site.
HIBL Read how internationally known Indiana Biolab got started from a kid's project in 1937.

Miscellany and Orphan Pages These are pages which do not fit any of the classifications listed above.

X1 Directory of email addresses and homepages of people and businesses in southern Indiana.
Penpals Learn about climate, school, geography, and customs in distant lands by exchanging email.
TS1 Travel Stories, first being Curtis Ewbank's Feb 97 visit to central america

Written by Harold Eddleman, Ph. D., President, Indiana Biolab, 14045 Huff St., Palmyra IN 47164