And I don’t mean with Finals! (just kidding, finals included!)
But in terms of our project, they are putting water into the second coral pond on Tuesday. Then they are going to inoculate both ponds on Wednesday with the tropical reef tank sediment. At this stage it is extremely crucial that we sample frequently because microbial communities will be rapidly changing. We’ll be doing AM and PM samples all week during our study breaks. On Monday we will sample the tropical reef tank before they transfer the sediment into the coral ponds. We will also sample the incoming water for Coral Pond #2.
When Friday comes around, we will run into another problem. Us undergrads are going home for three weeks, which leaves David and Matt a lot of sampling and water chemistry. Fortunately, sampling only takes a few minutes and can be stored in the freezer until we all get back. Water chemistry takes a bit of time, but with the new water filters on their way the process should be quicker than it has been.
And when we get back we’ll only have a couple hundred DNA extractions to do… no big deal. But for now, we’ll focus on this week. Sampling + Studying! Anyone want to quiz me while I measure nitrite levels in the water?
Jonathan Eisen's Lab 