Week #8 March 22-March 28

I actually had my blog finished this morning. I spent a couple of hours on it and right when I was going to submit it, the laptop I was using in the lab froze! I couldn’t do anything. Matt, Josh, and I left it setting all day in hopes that ‘she’ would recuperate and give me my blog back but nothing happened. So, let’s get started!

This has been an exciting yet stressful week! Upon arriving on Monday and clocking in, Matt informed me that I we had an opportunity to present my project at the conference at Estrella Mountain in May. I directed my attention away from the time clock and to Matt as he said "and we need a 300 word abstract with five sources by the end of the day". He must have seen my eyes go cross-eyed because his follow up was "and I think you can do it". Well, with that encouragement, how could I say no? My only hesitation was the progression of my project and our most recent changes. Since the beginning of the semester we have changed my protocol four times, minor/major tweaks, here and there, but starting from scratch each time nonetheless. So, I spent most of Monday focusing on my abstract and by the end of the day I am happy to say Matt and I submitted our proposal. Thanks Matt!

Before clueing you in on my new protocol, let me take a moment to thank the organization or individual(s) who donated our lab coats. We used the back corridor as a runway and had our own fashion show. With Matt and Josh being the judges, we finally picked my coat. I think they did a great job; custom-fit, tailored specifically for me. What do you think? (Who photo-bombed my picture? Thank you Kimberly for the photo shoot!)

Now, on to my protocol... Since we have had issues with contamination and not seeing desired zones of inhibition using the UVC as a pretreatment to the lab, we have turned our focus to INDIA. As I indicated last week, Matt and I have been gathering research stemming from INDIA and specific extraction methods of bioactive properties of various plants. We have decided to give Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) a try. Microwave what? Apparently, by using MAE and a specified solvent, more bioactive properties can be extracted from plants. In this trial run, we are using a 70% solution of Ethanol.

Last week, I collected mesquite and allowed it to dry. Yesterday, I took the dried mesquite and grinded it with a blender. I then took approximately .5cc's of the ground mesquite and 1ml of the ethanol solution and put them into an Eppendorf tube. I repeated this process to have a total of two micro-centrifuge tubes in total. One of the tubes will be soaking in the ethanol solution for 24 hours while the other tube was placed in the microwave for 30 seconds and then allowed 24 hours to sit as well. This afternoon I will centrifuge the solutions and then extract the supernatant from the tubes and place a sterile 6mm paper discs in the extracted fluid. I will then place these paper discs in lawn cultures and use the Kirby Bauer method to determine if mesquite has any antimicrobial properties. We are hoping that the MAE treated solution will have a higher concentration than the mesquite soaked only in an ethanol solution.

I will keep you posted. I am excited to see the results. My only concerns are that I am running out of time and <<whispers>> that minor explosion in the laboratory yesterday. Matt and I safely tested both water and ethanol in the microwave for 30 seconds; however, by merely placing .5cc's of ground mesquite, the additional pressure blew the cap of the Eppendorf tube. I also have labeled my plant specimen lest it be confused for something else J (It’s mesquite.I promise!). Have a good week. Only SIX to go!

P.S. To whomever it may concern, my third batch of Mueller Hinton plates has disappeared. I am closing in on our petri dish aficionado and will find you soon J