One of the things I love about microbiology scicomm is the many ways microbiologists, writers, and artists have incorporated microbes into tangible output. Microbiology-themed books, clothing and accessories, kitchen supplies, and toys have definitely made their way into my household lately.
If you’re looking for some fun gifts for a microbiology lover in your life, I hope this list is helpful!
Looking for something specific? In this post, you’ll find:
- Clothing and accessories
- Home decor
- Gifts for kids
- Fermentation tools
- Knitted and crocheted microbes
- Books
Note: As an Amazon Associate I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from links in this post (affiliate disclosure).
Microbiology accessories and clothing
Microbiology home decoration
- Pseudomonas candle: The label is The Not so Calming Scent of Pseudomonas. LOL!
- 3D printed phages: I have these on my bookshelf as decoration, but now looking back at the link, I should try using it as a planter!
- Petri dish Christmas ornament
- Virus watercolor painting
- Giant Microbes: The classic microbe plushies. Includes other cells, molecules, and animals, as well.
- Contamination Club 2026 Calendar: It was six years ago that Noodlococcus, a contaminant that looks like noodles growing on a Petri dish, cropped up in a lab at the University of Birmingham. This sparked an appreciation for contaminants and the formation of the Contamination Club. Their 2026 microbial contaminant calendar is now available and features microbiology-related events throughout the calendar.
Microbiology gifts for kids
- Toy microscope: Since I have a 3 year old, I opted to get him the Educational Insights microscope this year (shhh!). If this goes well, I’ll be looking at a Foldscope for him when he’s older (and less likely to rip it up).
- Foldscope: A paper microscope designed to make microscopy more accessible.
- Might Microbes Lab: Hands-on microbiology project! Think: the classic “swabbing things and seeing what grows” type of project. I have this on my radar for when my toddler gets a bit older.
- See more microscopes for kids.
So portable so you can science anywhere! Source: Foldscope.
Microbial kitchen tools
Oh gosh, where do I start here? Over the years I’ve been doing various fermentation projects: kefir, kombucha, sourdough, and yogurt. Below are some of my thoughts on various supplies for making these fermented foods if you are looking for gifts for someone who wants to try fermenting at home or upgrade their supplies.
Not a fermentation tool, but I have to share this bacteria cookie cutter I have. This was so fun to use, but I’m pretty sure my non-microbiologist friends were weirded out by this. The Etsy store where this cookie cutter came from has many others, including Petri dishes, DNA, and pipettes.
For kefir, I found this was an easy way to get started with fermentation. All you need are the kefir grains, strainer, a jar or container, and milk.
- Kefir grains from Fusion Teas
- Fine mesh strainer
- Kefirko (this was a gift I got one year, but ended up finding it simpler to use a small container and my strainer)
For kombucha, I didn’t make this for very long because it was too much for me to drink, but I always found this a great starter into fermentation since I didn’t need to buy a whole bunch of stuff.
For sourdough,
- Cloche clay baker from Breadtopia. I found that using this cloche gave me a thinner and crispier crust than using a Dutch oven.
- Proofing basket from Breadtopia. This proofing basket (with the liner) has been great to use. You’d want to chose a basket and baking vessel that’s the same shape. I do not recommend proofing without a liner or parchment paper as I did this once and the dough stuck horribly.
- Lamé for all those pretty designs.
For yogurt,
- Instant pot: This made my life so much easier! You can definitely make yogurt without it but it has just been super easy for me and is the method I’ve been using for the last few years. Plus, you can use the Instant Pot for other purposes (I like to make a big batch of plain beans in there and freezing in batches).
- Yogurt maker from Euro Cuisine: This is what I started using when I made yogurt. It’s sole purpose is to make yogurt so it’s not as flexible as the Instant Pot. It does use individual jars so it’s great for portioning, but it means a lot more dishes.
- Instant read thermometer: I like using a thermometer to check the temperature of when the milk has cooled down enough to add my “starter” yogurt.
Knitted and crocheted bacteria and viruses
- Microbes in Petri dishes
- Diseases as Gifts: Many different microbes to choose from
- Bacteria Microbiology Crochet Plush Amigurumi Biology Series
Feeling crafty? You can make your own microbes with these patterns!
Microbiology books
So many books! I’ve made a few lists of microbiology books which you can find below. This year, I really enjoyed reading Carl Zimmer’s Air-borne. My son’s favorite science books are Germ Theory for Babies (he now talks about bad germs making him sick and good germs making him healthy), Goodnight Lab, and Fungus is Among Us.
Find more books:
I hope this list has been helpful in spurring gift ideas! For more, see my Pinterest. I have more ideas there and I’ll continuing updating as I come across more microbial goodies!
Featured image created by Canva Magic Media.
