The K-12 Protocol

The K-12 Protocol

This one takes more effort than the yeast test, and I want to be upfront about the one part that isn't simple: actually sourcing the culture.

Sourcing — The Honest Version

In the US, this is almost a non-issue — companies like Home Science Tools and Carolina Biological sell K-12 starter cultures and nutrient agar directly to homeschool families, no institutional affiliation required. In Europe, it's a bit more friction. Most of the established suppliers — VWR, PHYWE, DSMZ — sell primarily to schools, universities, and companies rather than individuals.

That doesn't mean it's unreachable. A few real paths:

• Ask a local school or university biology department. Many are happy to let someone purchase a small culture through their institutional account, or even just give you one — K-12 is cheap and unremarkable to anyone who works with it.
• Check a few suppliers directly for a listing explicitly labeled "K-12," "Risk Group 1," or "non-pathogenic educational strain." Availability and consumer access changes, so this is worth checking fresh rather than assuming.
• US suppliers sometimes ship internationally for live cultures, but check import rules for biological material before ordering — this varies by country and isn't something to assume is fine by default.

This is exactly why we led with yeast first. If sourcing takes you a week of emails instead of an evening, that's normal, not a sign you're doing something wrong.

What You Need

A K-12 starter culture, nutrient agar, and petri dishes — usually sold together as a kit. A warm spot for incubation helps (K-12 grows fastest around human body temperature), but room temperature works too, just slower.

Setting Up a Fair Comparison

Same principle as the yeast test, just with sterile technique added. Inoculate two plates from the same culture, at the same time, with the same amount — a sterile loop or swab, one consistent streak pattern on both. Label one Control, one Test. Keep both in the same incubation environment except for the one variable: expose the Test plate to your frequency device, keep the Control away from it.

Reading the Result

After 24–48 hours, compare colony counts between the two plates — no microscope needed, just count the visible colonies, or photograph both plates next to each other for a clearer comparison. More colonies, fewer colonies, or no visible difference are all valid, useful outcomes.

When You're Done

K-12 doesn't need special disposal like a real pathogen would — no autoclave required. Standard practice is enough: seal used plates in a bag before putting them in regular trash, and wash your hands and work surface afterward. If you want to be extra careful, a quick wipe-down with diluted household bleach before disposal is a reasonable step, though not strictly required for a Risk Group 1 organism.

Whatever you find, send it in — photos of both plates, your counts, your setup. Every result gets published, good or bad. That's the dataset this whole approach depends on.