Over the last few days, we’ve shared updates and observations from #PitStart, a pilot study examining the effects of deodorants and antiperspirants on armpit microbes, coordinated by our friends in the Genomics and Microbiology Lab at the Nature Research Center.

You may have heard our scientists and volunteer participants mention plates of their armpit bacteria. By plates, we’re referring to petri dishes – not dinner plates – that contain a special nutritious medium on which the microbes can grow. You got a close-up of my plates from the first day of #PitStart as well as those belonging to volunteer David da Souza from Day 4 of the experiment.

We want to get you involved in the whole process of doing science with the Your Wild Life team so today we’re taking you into the lab with Meg, an intern in the Genomics & Microbio Lab (you met her this summer). Meg’s spent the better part of last week plating out #PitStart samples and will show you how we go from a sterile Q-tip covered in armpit bacteria to pretty colonies on a plate.

Watch and learn!