Question

I would like to calculate the pH of a certain bacteria species before after an experiment. I was reading about the pH cell of bacteria and I found out about Bacterial Intracellular pH which I different than the pH level outside the cell. I plan to measure the pH Outside of the cell as a method to represent the pH of the bacteria.

My experiment:

I am soaking a piece of paper into a bacteria solution (bacteria + media). After that, I am exposing the piece of paper to different parameters. I would like to measure the slight change in pH if any, due to the exposure. In sum, I would like to measure the pH level of the bacteria on paper before and after exposing it to different parameters to compare the change.

My idea:

For before and after exposure, I will submerge the paper in a neutral liquid suck as DI water or a new sample of the bacteria media for an hour and measure the pH of the solution. Is that a valid method to measure the pH change or do I have to use a dye to see the color of the cell to quantify the pH?

Answer 1

To measure pH changes in bacteria after exposure to different parameters, using pH paper is a convenient method. Dip the paper with bacteria into the solution and compare the color change to a pH chart. This method is straightforward and doesn't require expensive equipment.

Step-by-step explanation:

To measure the pH change in bacteria after an experiment, using pH paper might be a more straightforward approach than submerging the paper in a neutral liquid. pH paper contains a mixture of indicators that change color depending on the acidity or basicity of a solution. During your experiments, immediately after the bacteria on paper have been exposed to different parameters, you could dip pH paper into the solution on the paper and compare the color change to a standard pH chart. This method allows for a quick approximation of pH without the need for calibrating expensive electronic pH meters or handling fragile electrodes.

In your experiment, if you still prefer to submerge the paper in DI water or a new sample of bacterial media, that could also provide insight into changes in pH, but care must be taken to ensure that the pH change is representative of the condition of the bacteria post-exposure and not diluted or affected by the new media. Regardless of the method, it's essential to use the same technique consistently before and after exposure to compare the pH changes accurately.