CUDDLY ENOUGH TO KILL: LIMITED TIME DEAL!!!!!
(This is a collaborative project by Grace Lund and Connor Ito)
ARE YOU TIRED OF SCIENTIFICALLY INACCURATE PLUSH MICROBES?
DO YOU FEEL A NEED TO CUDDLE AN EBOLA VIRUS, BUT DON’T WANT THE LETHAL SIDE EFFECTS?
DOES YOUR LIFE NEED MORE TUBERCULOSIS?
THEN LOOK NO FURTHER!
Cuddly Enough to Kill is the most scientifically accurate plush microbe collection on the market! Featuring Ebola virus, Giardia lamblia (Giardia), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tuberculosis), Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax), and Escherichia coli (E. coli)!
First up is Ebola!
Our Ebola plushes feature glycoprotein studding, represented in soft and huggable polyester! These Ebola also show twisted tube shape of the actual virus with none of the painful, life-threatening effects of the real thing!
Next up, one of the most common causes of waterborne disease- Giardia!
Giardia are extremely transmittable microscopic parasites which cause gastrointestinal distress and can be lethal in the case of children, the elderly, or the immunocompromised! We have represented the shell of Giardia with machine washable fleece and their signature flagella in blanket yarn!
Now, Tuberculosis, affectionately known as TB!
Our TB are rendered in plush red fleece to represent the unique waxy cell coating, which must be dyed with acid fast stains, resulting in their red color! These microbes also feature Plasmid Pocketsâ„¢! Collect and share plasmids with all your microbe friends, transferring antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, and more!
Now featuring Bacillus anthrasis, known commonly as Anthrax!
These cuties are the only obligate pathogens of the genus Bacillus! In our plushies, the wonderful purple color represents their Gram-positive cell coat! Now featuring Spore Sachelsâ„¢, the best way to store your spores in the case of poor growing conditions! If you or your friends both have Anthrax, you can form chains of the rods with the new feature Streptobacilli!
Now, everyone’s favorite: E. coli!
These fluffy little fellas are Gram-negative gastrointestinal bacteria covered in pili! Each one comes with four flagela that it’ll use to swim it’s way right to your heart! Or intestines! But be careful, these microbes have been known to be dangerous!
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
No, really, we have a surplus of microbes! They’re replicating so fast, we can’t keep up with them! And we want to pass these pathogens on to you! Come look at our selection and take home a microbe today!
(All silliness aside, we set out to create accurate representations of microbes with the features of each organism in a hands-on method that could be used to demonstrate how diverse the microbial world can be. We thought about how to appeal to all ages, yet still be as accurate as possible while on a college budget, and decided to make plush microbes. Each microbe has its own unique feature, and we tried to cover a variety of different anatomies. All in all, this project took a long time to complete, with our final microbe count at 28.)
