At the end of last year, the world's first Museum of microbes opened in Amsterdam. The idea of opening such an institution is quite unusual, because all the others demonstrate only the macro level of wildlife. The creators decided to show everyone that next to the person there is another world that most people don’t even know about.
Museum founder
Haig Belian, who is currently the director of this establishment, decided to open the Museum of microbes in Amsterdam. He himself admits that such an idea came to him 12 years ago. However, it turned out to be realized only in 2014.
The museum is actually a zoo, because all the exhibits in it are alive.
A unique establishment is located next to the Royal Artic Zoo complex and is part of it. About 10 million euros were spent on the construction of all the halls of the museum and the preparation of its exhibits.
Reasons for creating
What prompted Belian to open the Museum of microbes in Amsterdam, said the director himself.
Most zoos show an insignificant part of the animal world of our planet. These are mainly large animals, birds and reptiles. At the same time, only on the body of one person there are more microorganisms than all people on Earth. But interest in them is revealed only by scientists. Undoubtedly, this is explained by the fact that it is impossible to see even one of the representatives of microorganisms with the naked eye. But this does not mean that bacteria should remain only in the field of view of narrow-profile specialists. If you do not open this wonderful world to the masses, interest in this science will never appear. That is why everyone should find out that the Museum of Microbes has opened in Amsterdam.
Exhibits
What can be seen in this unusual museum and why its exhibits cause such interest?
The museum itself resembles a laboratory, which has many microscopes and flasks. It is here that you can see 2/3 of the total biomass of microorganisms that exist on Earth. But this is not the only thing worth visiting the Microbe Museum in Amsterdam. There is also a real laboratory in which specialists display new exhibits. You can look into the world of science and see how scientists work through a special window made of thick, impenetrable glass.
In addition, the museum has interactive screens. With their help, each visitor can check how many microbes live on his body and how they are called. For example, about 700 different types of bacteria can exist in the human mouth, and about 80 types of fungi on the soles of the feet.
There is also a huge display in one of the halls, where visitors are shown exciting animations. It begins with the image of the human eye, on whose eyelashes tiny ticks live. After that, the image scale changes, and visitors have a chance to see who lives on the body of the tick itself.
Another exhibit is a model of the Ebola virus, which received notoriety last year, and the human immunodeficiency virus.
An unusual and interesting attraction is the Kiss-o-meter. With it, lovers can find out how many microorganisms they exchange during a kiss. Museum staff conducted an experiment before the museum opened. It was attended by 42 people. Couples kissed for 10 seconds. After that, scientists collected saliva samples in order to find out what microflora of each mouth was and how many bacteria found a new place of residence.
