Music effect on bacteria

[Monalisa]

Hello everyone

Im doing a project about the effect music has on bacteria and my results so far are that classical music makes them grow faster, but my question is why? Why does bacteria grow faster when listening to classical music?

[Function]

Did they grow significantly faster? How did/can you prove that? Does this make any sense to you, given the fact that bacteria are single-cell organisms, and are not able (nor feel the need) to hear anything at all?

 

Only effect your music could have on bacteria is changes in air pressure

[ecoli]

The correct control would be non-musical sound, rather than no sound.

[Monalisa]

I have infected twelve soils, three aren't listening to any music, three are listening to rock, other three to pop music and the last three classical. I've been doing it for four days now and the results are super clear. I did some research and the only thing I could find is that it has to do with the vibration of the soundwaves. But is that really it?

[Function]

I have infected twelve soils, three aren't listening to any music, three are listening to rock, other three to pop music and the last three classical. I've been doing it for four days now and the results are super clear. I did some research and the only thing I could find is that it has to do with the vibration of the soundwaves. But is that really it?

 

Are you sure the dishes are contaminated and colonised by one and the same sole species?

[Monalisa]

I used my fingerprints and as you know there are lots of bacteria on your hands, so probably at least I think that they are infected with the same kind of bacteria.

[CharonY]

Well, if you used your own fingers, how can you be sure that each print has the same inoculate and titre?

Edited February 28, 2017 by CharonY

[Function]

Find a way to isolate specific cults and species. Then homogenise all soils to be 'about equal' and try your experiment again.

 

Find a way to quantify your data.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Function

[Monalisa]

Does it even matter really? All of this isn't what I asked. Just in general, why does it have an effect? Why does a certain type of vibration of soundwaves have an effect on the growth speed of bacteria?

[Strange]

Does it even matter really? All of this isn't what I asked.

 

 

But "all of this" (critical thinking, experimental method, quantitative data, analysis of results, etc) is important to establish whether music actually has an effect or not.

 

After that, you can start asking why.

 

The other thing I would suggest is a double blind trial. You need one person to set up the samples and arrange for them to be excused to music. The sample are simply numbered so that no one can know which music/sound/silence they were exposed to. Then another person measures the responses. After that, these are related back to the music exposure. This helps remove bias due to the person doing the analysis subconsciously favouring one sample.

[CharonY]

None of which would matter if you start your treatments with different amount and types of bacteria. The best explanation at this point is that you transferred different amounts of bacteria to the plates (though it is hard to tell as you have not specified how you measured growth).

 

In other words, you first need to know the characteristic of your untreated condition and get that reproducibly. Only then can you be sure that differences because of whatever kind of treatments are really due to the treatment and because of how you set up the experiment. The interpretation comes after that.

 

Finger swabs or similar techniques are quite unsuited for assessing bacterial growth, rather you can only assess the contamination you got at the moment of transfer (limited to what is able to grow on the plates, of course).

A simple exeperiment would actually be growing e.g. a pure culture of E. coli and measure growth (or just titre at a given selected point) and do the treatment there.

Edited March 1, 2017 by CharonY

[StringJunky]

Could the rate of growth/ reproduction be enhanced in the environment with music simply due to increased access/distribution to nutrients caused by the vibrations? Replenishment is quicker. The vibrations reduce or remove the nutient's concentration gradient around the colony.

Edited March 1, 2017 by StringJunky

[DrP]

I was thinking the same SJ. I do not know the answer, but if this IS the case where a certain music has an effect on the growth of the cells in the colony then I would guess at that music producing the right frequency pressure pulses to 'massage' the bacteria, which in turn could cause faster growth/reproduction.

 

Funny - the same is probably true with humans! lol :-D Give couples a few hours alone with some Barry White and they seem to reproduce faster... The Dulcet Bass tones of Mr White have been scientifically proven to vibrate at the most stimulating frequencies for encouraging human reproduction. True story! ;-)

[Endy0816]

There are various papers online suggesting the vibrations/music have a generally positive effect on growth.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20040152083.pdf
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0026261715020125

 

Interesting and might be useful or something to prevent depending on the circumstances.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Endy0816

[Velocity_Boy]

 

I have infected twelve soils, three aren't listening to any music, three are listening to rock, other three to pop music and the last three classical. I've been doing it for four days now and the results are super clear. I did some research and the only thing I could find is that it has to do with the vibration of the soundwaves. But is that really it?

I have infected twelve soils, three aren't listening to any music, three are listening to rock, other three to pop music and the last three classical. I've been doing it for four days now and the results are super clear. I did some research and the only thing I could find is that it has to do with the vibration of the soundwaves. But is that really it?

Well, if the growth rate of your bacterium is really being influenced by music, then, yes, the vibration of the sound waves HAS to be the reason. Since that is, at it's most basic machination, all music really is...Waves of air being transmitted through the air in varying amplitudes and frequencies. The only other way anything is influenced by music is if it's like us, and had a brain and an auditory system capable of enjoying or not enjoying the music.

Which your bacterium decidedly do not have. LOL.

 

So.....Why Mozart and not Metallica? Hmm...I've of course heard of the Mozart Effect before and the only thing I come up with is that perhaps the sound waves in Classical are more fluid? More harmonious, and gradual and thus, less staccato and harsh as in metal or pop? And like, say, being able to sleep or read better in a rocking chair than on a roller coaster, are more conducive to fostering and encouraging the chemical reactions that occur during cell growth.

 

Just an idea. I havd to admit that this far I have not been a believer in the Mozart Effect on plants. So I'm taking your word for it. As a biologist with a Botany emphasis, I've tried that experiment before. Rather, I observed it being conducted by a lab partner. And if yielded no discernible results that supported the hypothesis.

 

Thanks for sharing.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Velocity_Boy

[Tokenhein]

Animals are sensible to music, so bacteria can be sensible too. Maybe with vibrations, it can do something.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Tokenhein

[quickquestion]

My question is, would music change the appearance of water.

 

Some Japanese scientist said he did an experiment and found that a student's emotions change the appearance of water.

But I am not satisfied with his experiment protocols.

He probably did not put the students in HAZMAT suits or anything. For all we know, the student's pheromones tainted the water. I wish I could have been there to make his experiment go right.