Anushka Kollengode

Elevator buttons are among the most frequently touched surfaces in public spaces, making them potential contributors to fomite transmission and the spread of communicable diseases. This project aimed to quantify microbial burden and measure the presence of ampicillin-resistant bacteria on elevator buttons at University Square, a local clinic, and the Student Life Center to better understand their public health relevance. To assess contamination, each elevator button was swabbed four times and streaked onto twelve TSA plates and twelve TSA+AMP plates, which were incubated at 37 °C for one week before colony-forming units were counted. This approach allowed us to compare bacterial load across locations and evaluate whether resistant organisms were present. Total bacterial growth varied notably by site, with significant differences observed on TSA plates, suggesting that traffic level and cleaning frequency influence microbial accumulation. In contrast, bacterial growth on ampicillin plates showed no significant differences between locations, indicating that antibiotic-resistant bacteria were not commonly detected on these surfaces. These findings emphasize that high-touch public environments harbor measurable microbial contamination and underscore the importance of regular sanitation and hand hygiene. Overall, our results demonstrate that elevator buttons can support bacterial growth but did not show evidence of widespread ampicillin resistance, reinforcing the need for effective cleaning practices in shared spaces.