Statement of Purpose
Click the below link to be sent to our statement of purpose document:
Click the below link to be sent to our statement of purpose document:
Mentor Feedback
Below is the e-mail we received from our mentor:
Below is the e-mail we received from our mentor:
Efficacy Tests
Test 1:
Objective:
As a group we are trying to figure out a safe/healthy way to Keep Tahoe Blue (remove algae). Testing the amount of algae a certain amount of phytoplankton can consume.
Materials to be Tested:
Phytoplankton
Algae
Other Needed Materials:
Tank
Fresh Water
Independent Variable:
Amount of phytoplankton
Dependent Variable:
How much algae is getting eaten/removed
Controlled Variable:
Tank size
Freshwater temp.
Amount of phytoplankton
Amount of algae
Procedure:
1. Get a tank an fill it with fresh water
2. Get phytoplankton and put them in the water
3. Put algae on rocks inside the tank
4. Change the ratio of phytoplankton and algae
5. Record results
Test 2:
Objective:
Giving fish a new food to eat that makes their feces dissolve in water in order to stop algae growth
Material to be tested:
Fish waste
Fresh water
Other Needed Materials:
A pond that can make fish waste dissolve
Independent Variable:
Main food source
Dependent Variable:
How much algae grows
Controlled Variables:
Everything is kept the same besides the plants that the small fish eat because when they produce waste, it will dissolve. The plant will have no nutrients due to a gene we've put in it, so it won't produce more algae.
Procedure:
1. Measure how much algae grows in a period of time
2. See if the fish will eat new plants
3. Take out the other plants near the coastline and put it in new plants
4. Wait for a year
5. Measure the amount of algae on the coastline
Data Collection and Recording:
Amount of algae growing before and after new plants
Analysis of Data:
Comparing which plants decrease and increase algae
Test 3:
Objective:
To find how to break down cellulose
Materials to be Tested:
Enzymes that breakdown cellulose
Other Needed Materials:
Cellulose
Petri Dishes
Water
Independent Variable:
The enzyme on the cellulose
Dependent Variable:
The amount of cell wall broken by enzyme
Controlled Variables:
Temp. of lake in petri dishes
Room temp. for 24 hours
Same size of plant material
Procedure:
1. Prepare enzymes, cellulose, water temp. and room temp.
2. Place water and cellulose in petri dishes
3. Apply enzymes to cellulose
4. Check back in 24 hours
5. Record data
Data Collection and Recording:
Take amount (in weight) of cellulose left
Analysis of Data:
Compare which enzymes breakdown cellulose faster
Reflection:
In this project we had to find a biotechnology solution to a problem. My group and I decided we wanted to decrease the amount of algae currently found in Lake Tahoe. Our solution was to create a bacteria that would break down the algae. Once the algae was broken down, the next step would be to create a filter that would filter out any remaining algae. One thing we did well was research. We were able to find out a lot about Lake Tahoe and discover any potential limitations that would inhibit our proposed solution. Another thing we did well was dividing up the tasks to make sure everyone in the group had something to work on. For example, in our Statement of Purpose, each person wrote a separate paragraph. One thing we could've improved was exploring our solution further and coming up with a more detailed plan on how we would execute it. Another thing we could've improved was finding another mentor. If we had two mentors, we would've had more feedback opposed to the feedback of only one mentor.
Test 1:
Objective:
As a group we are trying to figure out a safe/healthy way to Keep Tahoe Blue (remove algae). Testing the amount of algae a certain amount of phytoplankton can consume.
Materials to be Tested:
Phytoplankton
Algae
Other Needed Materials:
Tank
Fresh Water
Independent Variable:
Amount of phytoplankton
Dependent Variable:
How much algae is getting eaten/removed
Controlled Variable:
Tank size
Freshwater temp.
Amount of phytoplankton
Amount of algae
Procedure:
1. Get a tank an fill it with fresh water
2. Get phytoplankton and put them in the water
3. Put algae on rocks inside the tank
4. Change the ratio of phytoplankton and algae
5. Record results
Test 2:
Objective:
Giving fish a new food to eat that makes their feces dissolve in water in order to stop algae growth
Material to be tested:
Fish waste
Fresh water
Other Needed Materials:
A pond that can make fish waste dissolve
Independent Variable:
Main food source
Dependent Variable:
How much algae grows
Controlled Variables:
Everything is kept the same besides the plants that the small fish eat because when they produce waste, it will dissolve. The plant will have no nutrients due to a gene we've put in it, so it won't produce more algae.
Procedure:
1. Measure how much algae grows in a period of time
2. See if the fish will eat new plants
3. Take out the other plants near the coastline and put it in new plants
4. Wait for a year
5. Measure the amount of algae on the coastline
Data Collection and Recording:
Amount of algae growing before and after new plants
Analysis of Data:
Comparing which plants decrease and increase algae
Test 3:
Objective:
To find how to break down cellulose
Materials to be Tested:
Enzymes that breakdown cellulose
Other Needed Materials:
Cellulose
Petri Dishes
Water
Independent Variable:
The enzyme on the cellulose
Dependent Variable:
The amount of cell wall broken by enzyme
Controlled Variables:
Temp. of lake in petri dishes
Room temp. for 24 hours
Same size of plant material
Procedure:
1. Prepare enzymes, cellulose, water temp. and room temp.
2. Place water and cellulose in petri dishes
3. Apply enzymes to cellulose
4. Check back in 24 hours
5. Record data
Data Collection and Recording:
Take amount (in weight) of cellulose left
Analysis of Data:
Compare which enzymes breakdown cellulose faster
Reflection:
In this project we had to find a biotechnology solution to a problem. My group and I decided we wanted to decrease the amount of algae currently found in Lake Tahoe. Our solution was to create a bacteria that would break down the algae. Once the algae was broken down, the next step would be to create a filter that would filter out any remaining algae. One thing we did well was research. We were able to find out a lot about Lake Tahoe and discover any potential limitations that would inhibit our proposed solution. Another thing we did well was dividing up the tasks to make sure everyone in the group had something to work on. For example, in our Statement of Purpose, each person wrote a separate paragraph. One thing we could've improved was exploring our solution further and coming up with a more detailed plan on how we would execute it. Another thing we could've improved was finding another mentor. If we had two mentors, we would've had more feedback opposed to the feedback of only one mentor.