Geochemistry & Ecology of Red Mat
Systems (GERMS)
Undergraduate Summer Research Program
Week One – Practice
Representative Water Analysis
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Introduction |
Week 1 |
Site Documentation:
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Test Site Location:
Luckiamute Date: Water pH:
5.5 (acidic) Water
Temp: 19.9°C |
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Field Chemical Test Methods
and Results (AccuVac)
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Methods: Color
based spec test on site, with AccuVac bottles |
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Results: |
mg/L |
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Total Chlorine |
0.01 |
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Chromium |
0.01 |
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Molybdenum |
0.2 |
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Nitrate |
0.9 |
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Nitrite |
0.003 |
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Sulfate |
0.0 |
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Sulfide (Non-AccuVac) |
0.0 |
Filtration Setup:
What the naked eye
doesn’t see in the Luckimute!!
Representative Pigment
and Microscopic Analysis Methods and Results:
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Methods: |
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Microscope, Spectrometer,
collected samples |
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Results:
Image – Visible Light
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10X |
40X |
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Image – F Fluorescence
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10X |
40X |
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Image – R Fluorescence
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10X |
40X |
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Methanol Extraction and Bead
Beating:
Methods: For
the methanol extraction and bead beating we took a mat sample, added GTE and
used a mortal and pestle to break it up and evenly suspend it.
Methanol: We first spun test tubes for 5 minutes in a
centrifuge to bring down the cells to the bottom of the test tube. We then
added methanol and re-suspended the cell. We then wrapped the test tube in foil
and left it sit on ice for 30 minutes to let the methanol extract the pigments.
Bead Beating: We filled a tube halfway with.1mm zirconium beads,
added GTE, and our sample. We then placed that tube into the bead beater. After
bead beating the tube we spun it for minutes in a centrifuge and placed the
tube on ice.
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In-vivo results |
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Methanol results |
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Discussion:
This week we learned some of
the commons skills that we will be using out in the field at