Microbe Maker

Having a cold is no fun. It’s much more enjoyable to have an adorable plushie that looks like the virus that causes this illness! Since 2002, the toy company GIANTmicrobes has been creating supersized stuffed versions of microbes—organisms too small to see with the naked eye.

Some of the company’s most popular products are viruses and bacteria that cause sicknesses like the flu, measles, or Ebola. A plush rhinovirus, the microbe behind the common cold, is another best-seller. It was also the first toy GIANTmicrobe ever created. Company founder Drew Oliver made the stuffed creature to teach his kids about germs. He wanted them to understand why it was important to wash their hands to prevent infectious diseases from spreading. From there, the company’s purpose “evolved into making science fun and accessible,” says Andrew Klein. He’s been the president of GIANTmicrobes since 2015.

Today, GIANTMicrobes also sells cuddly body parts, cells, and molecules. Klein spoke with Scholastic about making microbes—and other health-related toys—that anyone can snuggle up with.

There are millions of species of microbes in the world. So there’s an almost endless number of plushies we could create. We pick which ones to turn into toys based on requests from customers.

We focus on the microbes that would be the most important for people to learn about, like SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Our team decides which microbes we can create to spread awareness and bring attention to certain health topics.

In the past several years, we’ve started producing many new products relating to biology, chronic illnesses, and general health. We recently launched a mental health line of plushies that includes a representation of depression, which causes a persistent feeling of sadness. We also have a plushie that depicts anxiety—excessive and intense worry.

Organs are another new addition. These structures, like the brain, heart, and liver, have specialized functions in the body. We’ve also released plushies of important molecules in the body, like dopamine, which plays a role in memory and positive emotions. And we sell plushies of microorganisms that don’t cause disease, like water bears. These tiny animals, also known as tardigrades, can survive in extreme conditions.

Health-care workers, teachers, and parents have used our Covid-19 plushie as a tool to show patients, students, and kids what the actual coronavirus looks like. Our toys try to accurately capture the shape of microbes. For example, one of the most important features of any SARS-CoV-2 is the protein spikes on its surface.

One difference between our toys and actual germs, though, is that our microbes are decorated with bright colors and eyes. That’s not the case with real microscopic organisms—a real coronavirus isn’t red, and the cold-causing rhinovirus isn’t blue. And they don’t have eyes! These playful additions make microbes more fun, memorable, and real. Holding one of our plushies gives people context for something they normally can’t see. It also encourages them to learn why scientists recommend that we do certain things to stay healthy, like wash our hands or get a vaccine. Some people also use giant microbes as a get-well gift or to congratulate someone after they’ve recovered from an illness.

If something happens in the world, like an outbreak of a disease, one of our products may become more popular as a result. That’s why our coronavirus plushie continues to be one of our top sellers.

At the same time, our smallpox plushie is also popular—even though this virus was eradicated, or completely wiped out, in the late 1970s. The plushie remains a best-seller because the first-ever vaccine was created to combat this deadly illness. The vaccine’s invention is considered one of the great successes in public health.