the microbiology students
the familiar weight of a micropipette in your hand
dreaming about the millions of bacteria we have yet to discover
a sheaf of papers stuffed into your backpack
the fluorescent glow of the biosafety cabinet
advocating for proper use of antibiotics
memorizing cell wall architectures
wondering about the makeup of your own microbiome
an organized lab notebook, each entry neatly dated and indexed
carefully labeled freezer boxes
an appreciation for the invisible microbes that help keep us alive
the sleeves of a lab coat tucked neatly into your gloves
poring over electron microscopy images, debating their significance
the flicker of a bunsen burner flame
seeing microbes not as something to fear, but as something to be appreciated and understood
the background hum of centrifuges and incubators
eagerly explaining the difference between archaea and bacteria
hair neatly clipped back from your face
the vibrant colors of gram-stained cells
practicing your sterile technique until you're sure you've avoided contamination
rattling off the names of bacterial strains
complex phylogenetic trees, jumping from one branch to the next
a fascination with the endosymbiotic theory
the sharp smell of ethanol and bleach
a lab coat with your name scribbled on the tag
admiring a perfectly streaked agar plate
andulkaphoto
amandla
ellievsbear
gamechangershow
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
romaincrisis
blakekathryn
