Australia's Science Forum

I have been asked by another faculty about sourcing artificial skin and MTT...for testing different products...in this case lipstick.
I told them 2 chances !
But I can supply umpteen different brands of lipsticks.
They didn't laugh !
Haven't they heard of GOOGLE ?

What is MTT? I did Google it but decided it probably wasn't Mobile Task Team or More Than Toast(?). Wondered if it might be Move To Trash though!

It was only for a 15 minute lesson with the G & T yr 7 class !
I did a Google for my own information and found out something interesting about how artificial skin is made....

The raw materials needed for the production of artificial skin fall into two categories, the biological components and the necessary laboratory equipment. Most of the donated skin tissue comes from neonatal foreskins removed during circumcision. One foreskin can yield enough cells to make four acres of grafting material.

So that is my bit of "file it away for a rainy day game of Trivial Pursuit " !!!
There are so many other things I could say but am biting my tongue

FYI.......
Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Blue (MTT) may be used in measurement of cell proliferation. MTT produces a yellowish solution that is converted to dark blue, water-insoluble MTT formazan by mitochondrial dehydrogenases of living cells. The blue crystals are solubilized with acidified isopropanol and the intensity is measured colorimetrically at 570 nm. MTT has been used as a histochemical/cytochemical reagent6 and for the detection of NAD. ADP-linked enzyme systems in tissue cannot be detected with MTT, due to binding of the cation by the cyanide trap used. MTT is rapidly reduced to the formazan, which chelates with nickel, copper, and cobalt; the cobalt chelate has been used in oxidative systems.
It costs about $112.00 for 1g

There endeth the Lesson

What about pig skin

What about using the skin from one of those thick skinned teachers that we all have lurking around - they wouldnt miss a bit of it~

Hey Smee!
You're just "showing off"

Have heard of people using sausages for testing sun screens,sure you could try lipstick as well.
Maybe you could just get hold of the skins?
Anyway in the process you could also determine if the old saying is true.
You know the one.
"You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig"??