If I brought GIANTmicrobes to school...

Good point!
I once talked a teacher of mine into not omitting virology if I gave a talk about viruses. Now imagine if I would've had cuddly flu with me then to swing opinion for this topic

You could as well go for sickle cell anemia's prevalence in tropical countries. Since it deforms red blood cells (in which plasmodiae live, in turn) it helps in a way to fend off the disease. In northern hemispheres, however, the variation is not as prevalent as it shows only mild downsides there (no malaria, but still you can't breathe as well).
Funny point: While the cells deform, crystallizing proteins build up needles that actually "pin up" the plasmodium Mean, isn't it?

[kskerr]

As far as I know the blood cells start out as deformed and the paracites are never able to infect them because of it, I have never heard anything about them being pinned by a protein. It is interesting how a disease trait that would normally be selected against had the opposite happen to it because of a disease, a disease selecting for a disease.

I brought my first batch of micobes to school right after Christmas break, and showed them to my science teacher. He loved them! He asked me to do a presentation in front of the class that day. I accepted, and everyone in my class thought they were cool! I just brought in another batch today, and he wants me to do another presentation tomorrow (today is February 27/06)!

I have never brought my microbes to school, but i have a friend who did. He named it Jimmy the Ulcer cell, and the teachers almost took it away.

[kskerr]

Microbes descrimination I say! Call her a microphobe or something (though not to her face, she is still the teacher and deserves respect). Next time your friend should explain the educational potential of the plush and perhaps offer to let her use if she is going to give a lecture on something involving bacteria. Also if he was being disruptive with it that is microbe abuse, tsk tsk!

Originally Posted by Emily

If I brought my GIANTmicrobes to school, they'd probably tell me to not take them anymore. We are not allowed to have stuffed animals at school, no matter how educational or awesome they are.'em?

Technically, they aren't stuffed ANIMALS...

[kskerr]

Shark is right, we should not insult them by calling them animals !

well, i homeschool so it's perfectly fine with my mom (who also loves them.) to bring them to school, because it is my house...

[kskerr]

If I get into the lab I want I might get an extra pimple plush and hang it over my lab bench at school since it is a relative of what would be my research organism...

I don't take them to the lab, so they can't get stained/contaminated and stay huggable.
Seriously, I wouldn't risk having any of them confiscated but that's just me... ("My... precious!") Now if a science teacher likes them, that's cool!

Also wanted to let you know I used pictures of Mono in a current presentation. It was "customer action shots" from a geek cubicle/household stuff retailer online, and I used it to illustrate Mono transmission via kissing
Still, the place for me to buy my microbes remains science museums or the original websites.