Week 7-Semester 2.Mathopolis

Hello! Lab work is progressing, albeit at a slower pace than I would prefer. However, previous efforts to accelerate the pace of my project have shown that a consistent, repeated, and measured approach is most conducive to accurate results. Whether double- and triple-checking all calculations before beginning a protocol, or repeatedly verifying the settings on a pipette as I work, I have found that adhering to an established technique is the key to both finding and repeating accurate results.

Luckily for me, I have been inundated by the structured world of math this semester. I am taking Chemistry, Physics, and Trigonometry concurrently, so I spend quite a bit of time weekly honing my mathematical skills. This focus has transferred over to my research here in the lab and increased my proficiency at performing the calculations needed to move forward with my project.

This week has been heavily focused on gaining and retaining math skills, but I did focus on extractions as well. I was also able to finally utilize the recipe for the protein precipitation solution provided by Cori Leonetti, our in-house microbiologist. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict with some classes, I was unable to access all the equipment needed to complete my protocols until late in the week. Therefore, the results of this week's work remain to be seen; until the process has been completed, here is the solution I am using to precipitate proteins from my DNA samples.

4.2 M Guanidinium Hydrochloride
0.9 M Sodium Acetate
4.8 pH target
De-ionized water to reach total volume of 50 mL

I calculated the molarity of the solution targeting a final volume of 50 mL. The GuHCl was in an 8.0 M solution; the sodium acetate was in solid form, so I used a mole-mass conversion to calculate the amount needed. I then mixed, observed for solubility, and added de-ionized water until nearly at final volume. I then measured the pH. The result was approximately 6.3, so I added HCL by dropper until the pH was reduced until it reached the desired result. I then added the remaining de-ionized water to achieve full volume and re-measured the pH for a final result.

More on the usage of this solution and further extractions to follow. Until then, please enjoy the following: