Over the past few days I have spent a large portion of time within the growth chambers. The only way to access these chambers is through an underground tunnel that goes under the road and into the basement of the Microbiology and Cell Biology building. I freaked out a little inside the first time I was within the chambers because I flashed into an alternate universe... Dr. Who. I imagined myself as Rose Tyler in the episode "New Earth". Back to reality, I designed an apparatus for taking time-lapse footage of the defoliation response of the tobacco leaf. Amazingly enough in just one day I can see a growth! Just wow.
0 Comments
As I said in an earlier post, my hydroponics system took a turn for the worst last month. Now I am redesigning it and working double time (between this and doing other work in the lab I'm quite a busy girl).
In any case, after researching more into hydroponics I have discovered that my system may have been too complex. I am going to use a Nutrient Film Technique(NFT) for my new system. This technique uses gravity as a friend and uses a lot less tubing. Here are pictures of a couple designs, if you have any suggestions please comment or email me at [email protected]. After walking around identifying species with Dr. Kevin Nixon I began to tag and defoliate more plants. I had completed the process with the Silene ameria and began the Cotinus obovatus when it down poured on me. I guess I will have to tag the rest tomorrow. Last Friday and today are going to be dedicated to tagging various plants and dividing the plants into pairs-one control, one experimental. Then defoliating or stripping the experimental plant of all its leaves except one. Preferably the leaf that is left should show a profound amount of sink activity.
I have found that at least in my lab and the other plant biology labs the population is mostly chinese. I'm not taking a foreign language in school this year and my plan was to study german independently, but maybe instead of german I should learn Mandarin or at least attempt. I started my internship today. I am actually partaking in 3 extensions of the study. I am one of those people who either go all out or lay in the corner in an abyss of nothingness rocking back in forth thinking about all the things I could be doing. Truth is this summer I have been a master at both. Problem is I need to find a happy medium. So future Rhiannon... or those of you who don't want to be a psychopath like me keep records and take notes and do so not in 10 different notebooks, but all in one place (THE PLACE THEY SHOULD BE). Moral of the story: Records are key to not getting a B. Make sure you take notes: END OF STORY!
The reason I haven't posted in a while is because I have encountered many problems. For those who know me and those who do not I do not like to speak about my problems... maybe that is a good thing, most likely it is bad. I have called farmers and read blogs and asked questions in hydroponics forums. All has brought me to a point of nothing (that is a lie I did attain some helpful information).
So here is my problem: my system WAS working, but then it wasn't. It was a mixture between leaks and my pumps giving out. The bottom-line is I need to redesign. I can not express in words how I feel right now, so I won't. I leave for Cornell in a week for my approximately 3 week summer research. So here I am, yet again behind, when I work my tail off to get ahead. Hopefully while I'm at Cornell I can get some help with designing my second apparatus. |
My Update on Current Researchthe breakthroughs, the hardships, the cool stuff, and the not so cool. Archives
June 2015
Categories |