Créatures microscopiques

Chloé is interested in the creatures that live on our bodies, like the little mites that hide in the pores of her face. She also observes the cells that evolve in her blood and in a sperm sample.

Chloé collects microorganisms such as stentors, volvox and hydras, which live in the ponds. Chloé talks to research botanist Geneviève Lajoie about the impact of the urban environment on the species found in the Botanical Garden.

Chloé observes bacteria and yeasts by taking samples from her sink drain. She collects piles of dust to discover the mites and hydracarans that live under her roof.

Chloé takes a pear, an onion, some strawberries and a pineapple and analyzes them through the lens of her microscope. She observes a fungus of the genus Penicillium, like the one that led to the discovery of the very first antibiotic.

Chloé receives fleas and ear mites from the SPCA and ticks from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to observe under her microscope.

Chloé takes water samples from a lake to detect the many microorganisms that live there, such as daphnia and rotifers. She observes self-fertilization and the food chain in action.

Chloé collects mosses and lichens to observe them with her microscope. She finds the tardigrade, a microscopic animal with eight legs. She meets Marie Alibert, a PhD student in geographical sciences.

Chloé explores the different yeasts and bacteria found in fermented foods and beverages such as kombucha, bread, cider vinegar and beer. She talks to biology professor Jessika Groleau at a craft brewery.