Foster group contributes to popular children’s science programme
Back in the summer of 2024 the Foster Lab, based in the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, were approached with an unusual request. Could we help to answer the question ‘Why do my feet smell bad after wearing trainers all day?’. We gladly accepted the challenge and put our experience culturing the human microbiome to a new use!
The question was asked by a child contributing to a popular science programme made by CBBC, ‘Operation Ouch!’. After sourcing tubs and trays to use as giant petri dishes and some willing volunteers, we experimented in the lab, culturing the microbiome of washed and unwashed feet. 
After a several attempts we were ready. In September we travelled to the ‘Operation Ouch!’ studio and the CBBC presenters, Doctors Chris and Xand Van Tulleken, carefully placed their feet on the giant petri dishes we had prepared. After a few days incubation, the microbial footprints were grown and looking great for filming.
The Foster Lab team, Xuedan Wang, Ryan Teo, Louise Pankhurst and Frances Spragge attended a days filming at the studio to look after the cultures – with Frances making an on-camera appearance! The stars of the show were the magnificent microbial footprints, used by Chris and Xand to explain how the diverse set of microbes living on your feet produce organic acids that cause that distinctive used shoe smell.
Despite the smell, Chris and Xand explained in a child-friendly way how your skin microbiome is normal and healthy and can help protect you from more dangerous pathogenic microbes. They advised viewers that washing your feet and changing your socks regularly prevents build-up of dead skin which can cause extra growth of the microbes and abundant organic acid production.
The Foster Lab team had a great outreach experience seeing how this popular CBBC science programme is put together and making our own contribution to the programme. We can’t wait to see our microbial footprints on air and will also then discover whether Frances’ guest appearance made the final cut! Episode 7 of the 13th series of ‘Operation Ouch!’ titled ‘What a Stinker!’ airs on the CBBC channel at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 5th March 2025 (available on iPlayer from Monday 3rd March).
Written by Dr Louise Pankhurst (Foster group)
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The Foster group seek to understand and manipulate microbial communities by combining ecological and evolutionary approaches with the study of the human gut microbiome.
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Several Dunn School groups use a range of approaches to investigate antigen presentation and immune regulation during health and disease and study the mechanisms that enable bacterial and viral pathogens to invade and proliferate inside their hosts.
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