Last Week!

It makes me kinda sad to think this is the last week we will all be here at PC Biosciences. On the bright side, we'll all have a nice field trip at the end of finals week! I must say though, I am dreading finals week. My hardest final is going to be on Monday so its a mad dash to the finish line. My research paper is done and I have taken a crack at my powerpoint project, but I am still working on the aesthetics of it. Wish me luck everyone! At least we have one thing to look forward to when all our finals are done!

http://blog.ccbcmd.edu/sdeminds/files/2013/05/Finals.jpg

Thanksgiving

Hi everyone! Sorry that this update is late, but things have been crazy. Which is typically par for the course, I must say. In all seriousness, my grandmother passed away on the 23rd so I have been more than a little distracted to say the least. Thanksgiving was just not the same without her. In other news, the end of the semester signals the mad rush at finishing final projects and papers. Mine is coming along nicely, but I still have to finish my presentation.

http://www.self-catering-breaks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/turkey.jpg

What I've learned

So this week in S-STEM, I reapplied for the program next semester. On the application, there was a question about how being in the program has affected me. There's so much I could say about how it has affected me, both academically and personally, but I want to share just three things. For starters, I will never allow myself to fall behind with my classwork again. I've been fighting and uphill battle with my homework; lesson learned. Also, I won't take more than one hard science class at a time, that was an especially hard lesson. With CHEM151 and PHY101, this semester was especially challenging. The third, is to never be afraid to ask for help. When I fell behind, I felt a lot of shame about not fulfilling my obligations. I felt so guilty, that I just didn't want to show my face, and that's when things really seemed hopeless. When I finally came clean about my situation, I was completely overwhelmed by the support I received. Now I am actually caught up, so it wasn't as hopeless as I thought. So hang in there guys!

http://www.newmediaandmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Do-not-get-frustrated-in-direct-sales.jpg

Field Trip to the Arizona Museum of Natural History

Last week the S-STEM scholars went on a field trip to the AZ Museum of Natural History in Mesa, AZ. We had a blast and took lots of pictures as you can see below. My favorite part was the mineral section, I used to collect all sorts of stones so that exhibit was right up my alley!

Leptosuchus was a reptile that lived in the wetlands near the Petrified Forest, and looks like a crocodile BUT it evolved divergently them.

Estemmenosuchus, a mammal-like reptile that is an ancestor to modern crocodiles.

Postosuchus and Placerias are mammal-like reptiles that lived in the Petrified Forest aka the Triassic Forest of Arizona.

Longnose Gar, a living species of fish that exist in the fossil record going back 100-240 million years ago

The Columbian Mammoth and the American Mastodon 

Creatures that lived in Arizona when it was still covered in water and their tank-mates...

...The Symmorium, an ancestor of modern day sharks

This mural represents the journey onto land for various insects such as the giant millipede and the water scorpion

One-toed Hagerman Horse and Jeanette

A type of Quartz crystal

Collection of different types of Quartz crystals

Pentaceratops, like a Triceratops, but has two additional spikes coming from either cheek.

And My Bacterium Is....

       This week has been a crazy one since there is no school on Monday due to Veteran's Day. However, I still was able to identify my unknown bacteria. Last Friday I performed the SIM (Sulfide-Indole-Motility) test, and predicted that my unknown was Escherichia coli. For this test, you inoculate a sterile needle with your sample, and stab it through the testing media and incubate. Here are the results of the test.

SIM Test Results

To read the test, we look to see if there is any black coloration around the inoculation site. My sample did not, so it is negative for sulfur. Next is motility; when you first inoculate the medium, it is a clean line through. If there is a blurry cloud around the site, as is my sample, it is positive for motility. Therefore, negative sulfide and positive motility on the dichotomous key I was given indicates that my bacterium is....

Escherichia Coli!! 

I knew it!

Identifying an Unknown Bacteria

I'm having a lot of fun on my mini-project. All of us are identifying an unknown bacteria, my number is 6. The very first step was for us to create an isolation streak culture on an agar plate. I had to make 2, as the first one may have been contaminated by me breathing onto it. Luckily both plates came out pretty good. The colonies are circular, with an undulate edge, and is a glistening semi-opaque beige-yellow color.

First Plate

Second Plate

I did a gram stain from both plates and my bacteria is a gram negative bacilli. I thought it was a coccus, because the cells were very small, but when I looked at it with the oil microscope you could see that they were egg-shaped. Based on the appearance of the colonies on my plates, I suspect I have Escherichia coli, but further testing will confirm.

Next I did an Oxidase test by swabbing my culture and adding the testing fluid to it, this came out negative. I reconfirmed this by a second test which was also negative. The last test I performed was a glucose fermentation test, which was positive for acid, but negative for gas production.

The fluid turned from red to yellow, which is a positive result

I am now down to three possible species of bacteria, so if it is Escherichia coli, the next test will tell me. The SIM test, or Sulfur-indole-motility test results will be ready to read tomorrow and will be positive sulfide if it is E. coli.

Practicing Safe Science

Yesterday was my first day on the job at PC Biosciences Lab, so I had a lot of training. I was expecting to learn about aseptic techniques and good laboratory practices, which I am somewhat familiar with already. However, it focused primarily on safety when using the equipment and handling various chemicals and substances. This was very informative, because I've never handled hazardous chemicals before. While a lot of it was good, old fashioned common sense, there are a lot of potential hazards in the lab and carelessness could cause serious injury to not only yourself, but to your colleagues.

(photo: http://www.swarthmore.edu/Images/academics/biology)

Can't Wait

Life has been crazy lately so let me fill you in about what happened last week. I had my internship interview for Phoenix College Biosciences department on Tuesday with Matt. This was my most informal interview to date, and probably the most fun too. With questions like, "What superpower would you like to have and why?" it would be hard for it not to be fun.

In case you were wondering what I said, I chose to be a mega brain. You know, like John Travolta in Phenomenon. He had a brain tumor in that movie and eventually died though, so I would prefer my tumor to be benign.  Anyways, when the subject on what I would like my project to be came up, I was very excited and had a slew of ideas. Which is a good thing, since several of my peers are also interested in genetics. Besides genetics I am interested in micro-organisms in bodies of water so I may do something with that. Stay tuned!

Bacteria in Drinking Water

(Photo: http://www.uswatersystems.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09)