Investigating Mold By Monica and Julia

For our science research topic, we investigated mold. We wanted to find out how long it would take different kinds of bread to mold, and if different locations (cold, hotter, dark) made a difference.

During our research we found out that mold is used to make bread rise, to make candy, and it helps objects decay. We also learned that mold can be many different colors and textures. While some mold is harmful, others are helpful.

In order to research our topic we had to buy different kinds of bread, get containers and plastic bags, and make a chart. We bought sliced Italian, sliced whole grain, and white hamburger rolls. We set up our first experiment in the classroom and faculty room. We put the three different kinds of breads into containers and put them in the refrigerator, closet, sunny window, and plastic bags. We had to use gloves to investigate the breads over the course of 19 days.

Our hypothesis was that hamburger rolls would mold first and it would take more than three days for mold to form.

In our first experiment the only bread that grew mold was the bread in the plastic bags. The Italian and Whole Grain bread had mold on Day #8, and after 19 days the Hamburger rolls didn't mold. We found out that only the bread in plastic bags had moisture and that was the only bread that grew mold. The other breads became hard and did not have any mold grow on them.

Then we conducted a second experiment. We put all three breads (we bought new bread but used the same types) in plastic bags and put them in the same locations: sunny window, closet, refrigerator, and in the classroom in regular light and temperature. On the second day we found mold on the whole grain bread that was just in the room. On the third day the whole grain bread in the closet had mold. Both of these breads continued to grow mold. During the time of our initial research the hamburger roll or the Italian bread never molded. But now, seven days later, the Hamburger roll and the Italian bread in the room have mold measuring 3 mm. The Hamburger roll in the closet had mold measuring 15 mm and the Italian bread measured 44 mm. There was no mold in the sunny window or the refrigerator. We are continuing to watch our breads to see if we can answer our question: is there a better place to store bread?

In conclusion, bread needs to be in a plastic bag to grow mold, but it also needs to be in plastic to stay soft. The hamburger rolls did not mold, while the whole grain bread molded first.

In the future, researchers may want to try different kinds of bread and some different locations.