The Phantom Menace

I started my DNA extraction on Thursday, February 19, and began my dissection of ants from the northside parking lot of Phoenix College. I finished my DNA extraction buffer of 1% SDS and 0.5 M NaCl by heating it since the NaCl had crystalized at the bottom. While I was dissecting the ant in order to crush its thoracic region, I was scared of its legs flying into my mouth. It looked quite disgusting dissecting a frozen ant, but it was all done on an ethanol cleansed surface. I will not be showing explicit pics (yet) of this first dissection due to sensitive audiences.

                                   

Return of the Jedi

This past week I tested my new colonies with the oxidase reagent in order to see if the cytochrome oxidase enzyme plus the oxygen would make my bacteria look purple or not within twenty seconds. There was no difference in the color of the bacteria, therefore my results were negative. I then continued to finish my testing ending with a glucose fermentation test and motility test. The glucose fermentation test resulted as positive while my motility test resulted as negative. I finally found that my bacteria was Escherichia coli! This was an awesome experience and I am willing to do this process all over again. I have my wonderful mentors to thank.

                                             

         

The Empire Strikes Back

So today I began with a new culture of bacteria that I incubated on Tuesday, February 3rd, and I began to do my gram stain with this bacteria. Previously, I had done three gram stains which did not turn out the way I wanted. With this fresh batch I was able to create my gram negative stain and finally move on to the oxidase testing. By the way, the bacteria's shape is rod/bacilli. I currently created new isolation streaks on a TSA plate, so I can have a colony in order to conclude further testing. Here are pictures that show my day below:

                                

                                

                                

                                

        

                                   

   

       

A New Hope

My first day starting on Thursday, January 29th, was an incredible first day with my mentors Josh and Matt. Josh helped me by retrieving my unknown bacteria. He helped me to retrieve TSA plates to begin streaking my bacteria with a loop. As I did so about four times, I realized that on my fourth try it was by far the best streaking I had done. Keep in mind that I have never done anything like this before. After I was done streaking the bacteria in the TSA plates, I flipped them over, and we put them in the incubator. I was very curious as to how these bacteria colonies would form.

Cel's Biography

Hello there, my name is Cel Parra and I believe in change through science. I was raised and born in Phoenix, AZ all my life and this is my third semester here at Phoenix College. I'm nineteen years old, but will turn twenty this October. I've always had an interest in science from a very young age and was interested in facts from various topics such as astronomy, archeology, biology, chemistry etc. Growing up I would conduct unofficial experiments in my front yard dissecting insects, collecting rocks, and reading up on several different science textbooks. I had no clue what I wanted to do while growing up because I wanted to be everything from a scientist to a musician. I now believe I have set foot in the right direction with my major in Biological Sciences. I knew being in S-STEM would be the right fit for me to challenge myself and it has. Last semester, I was accepted into the Estrella Mountain Conference and received second place on my Ant DNA Extraction Project. I studied the population genetics of ants on campus and became familiar with the landscape on campus. I've been taught many lab techniques in S-STEM that I know I will need to use in my future career. I am excited to be continuing my internship here at Phoenix College!

             

                                        Picture Cred to Josh James