The Effect Of Music On The Growth Of Escherichia Coli And Staphylococcus Aureus

Research Article
Niloufer K Kotwal., Juhi Damani and Janhavi Damani
DOI: 
xxx-xxxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Bacteria; Bacterial Cell Division; Mechanical Stimulation; Sound Stimulation
Abstract: 

All organisms are surrounded by sound waves. It has been discovered that these sound waves can have an influence on organisms. Sound waves can enhance the process of metabolism and the permeability and selection of the plasma membrane in plants, thus influencing their growth (Zhao et al., 2002). Sound waves can affect animals as well. In 2007, cows at a farm in Spain were exposed to Mozart’s music during milking time. It was observed that milk production increased in these cows to 30-35 liters of milk per day, as compared to 28 liters of milk in other farms, where cows were not exposed to the music (Makiello, 2012). This work has been focused on studying the effect of music on the growth of bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria, when exposed to music of different genres, were seen to have various growth rates. The results of the experiment showed that not only did music enhance the growth of bacteria, but also, the genre, Heavy Metal, increased bacterial growth maximally in both strains as compared to other genres. This effect can be utilized on a larger scale in wastewater treatment industries where sewage-degrading bacteria are inoculated in the sewage. The tanks can be exposed to music and the efficiency of the bacteria can increase significantly, improving the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant (Pornpongmetta and Thanuttamavong, 2010). This helps in reducing the amount of sludge being transported during wastewater treatment, thereby saving transport costs.