At In CDC Atlanta museum.
When I arrived at the Center of Disease Control and Prevention headquarters (CDC) in Atlanta, I was subjected to a thorough vehicle search after which I proceeded into building 19 which houses the David J. Sencer CDC Museum. I was walked through metal detectors as seen in all federal buildings.
There was no signage marking the museum, so I casually wondered through the prohibited conference halls and classroom. I was even asked by a group of conference attendees to take pictures of them. After seeking direction, I finally found my way to the museum.
I started the self-guided tour by exploring the art exhibits near the lobby, the Global Symphony showed short stories emphasizing the efforts of CDC in investigating the spread of Ebola, Legionnaire’s disease and eliminating infectious disease such as polio.
I enjoyed their permanent exhibit, which told the story of CDC and not forgetting their infamous BSL 4 lab suits. I thought it was interesting that they included displays of types of measurement tools and microscope used in the lab. (What is microbiology without microscopy?)
Display of the history of measuring tools in laboratory.
Display of a microscope at CDC.
After careful deliberation,Isettled on Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax) as my microbe of interest, from the three finalists of Legionella pneumophila, Bacillus anthracis and Plasmodium sp. My choice of Bacillus anthracis stems from the fact that, a small, soil dwelling bacteria such as this would be utilized for biological warfare as seen in the 2001 Anthrax attacks at various post offices in the US.(3) Coupled with the fact that ,Bacillus anthracis, had headlined in the news a couple of times in recent times , from its emergence from melting permafrost in Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic Circle in 2016(1), and also the outbreak of anthrax in CDC labs in June 2014 .(2)
Hope to engage you on this fascinating journey, while we explore the gram-positive bacteria Bacillus anthracis.
Photo of Bacillus anthracis colonies. Courtesy of CDC/Larry Stauffer.
Reference
1.BBC (2017), There are diseases hidden in ice and there are waking up. Retrieved on 3/17/2019 at http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up
2.CDC (2019), Anthrax. Retrieved on 3/17/2019 at https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/news-multimedia/lab-incident/index.html
3. FBI (2010) Amerithrax of Anthrax Investigation.Retrieved on 3/17/2019 at https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/amerithrax-or-anthrax-investigation