Where have some of our swabs come from?

The best samples often come from the places you least expect.

People have sent Swab and Send samples from all sorts of unusual locations, including a Welsh slate mine, beekeeping equipment, a 70-year-old washing-up bowl, the River Hamble, and old cast iron pipes in a house in Boston, USA.

A few stories from the swabs

From mines, garages and rooftops

Some participants have sent letters describing exactly where they swabbed, from industrial tools to “mystery leaks” at home. These notes help bring the project to life and show just how creative people can be when they start looking for microbes.

From building work in Boston

One supporter swabbed old cast iron bathroom pipes during a home renovation and even offered to collect more samples later from kitchen pipework.

Swabs with sketches and questions

We also receive drawings showing where swabs were taken. One example came from the Observatory Science Centre (the former home of the Royal Observatory). A swab was taken along a walkway near copper-clad domes. The copper can leach into the surrounding soil, turning paving slabs green and raising a brilliant question: if copper has antimicrobial properties, what does that do to the microbes living nearby?

Feedback from supporters

People often tell us how they found Swab and Send and why they chose to get involved. Many want to support antibiotic discovery and help build wider public understanding of antibiotic resistance.