Interactive Exhibit on Microbes ‘Brings Cooties to Life’

A high-tech interactive exhibit that takes visitors on a journey through the mysterious universe of microscopic organisms has opened at the Natural History Museum.

“Microbes: Invisible Invaders . . . Amazing Allies” will run until Sept. 4, when the show moves on to the next stop on its national tour.

The exhibit is about “everything we can’t see, like bacteria, viruses and fungi,” said Gina Ward, media director of the Natural History Museum.

“The kids actually love it,” said Ward, who added that a time-travel segment begins in the catacombs in Paris during the Black Plague.

“It’s icky to them . . . but it’s not all bad. The exhibition tells in a fun way the good and bad about microbes.”

Among the exhibit highlights are a 3-D show of top medical researchers describing their careers in science and a virtual reality game that demonstrates the body’s immune system.

“This show brings cooties to life,” Ward said with a laugh.