All posts by Burke

Bio teacher Week 3

A bit late but I must say I feel like I’m making progress! This week my mentor let go of my hand and I had to complete several tasks all by myself!  I got to make emulsions (water and oil in a sonicator), NaCl test, Threshold test for the MNP, and a wash test.  The reason I feel progress has been made is because I had to make calculations on my own, and create my own procedures.  I did double check my math with my mentor and walked through the process with her but I was on my own.

 Here is the NaCl setup. I prepared emulsions with .05%, 1%, 2% and 3% NaCl.  (white lids)

 

 

 

 

Prepared samples. NaCl emulsions have been combined with nanoparticles.

  Mixer for 24 hours.
 Here are the results.

NaCl had no apparent effect on the  destabilization of emulsions by functionalized MNP

Bio Teacher

Wow week 2 is finished already it feels like time is flying by! This week I spent time in the lab working on magnetic nano-particles (MNP). I compared the magnetic nano-particles that I made (Amine coated MNP) to bare MNP.  My mentor and I were using the bare MNP as a control to see if the Amine coated MNP were as efficient  at removing oil.

            

Amine coated MNP proved to work!

Next week my project begins. I will test the effects of salinity on the destabilization of emulsions by functionalized magnetic nanoparticles.