Background Research...Yay...

     So when I started week two, I was very focused on the background research. I really want to understand what other people have to say about Pseudomonas fluorescens and micro plastics, so I'm not beginning completely from scratch.... and now... I think that I realize a bit more how idealistic and vague that statement really is... There is a TON of information and some of it most definitely more helpful. I'm almost relieved that I'm joining an existing research project so I don't have to do it on my own, and on top of that Maria and Kassandra are old pros at some of the stuff that I'm a little wobbly or rusty. I'm grateful for them. I feel like I'm getting to work with them and they're really getting good at some of this stuff. Plus, of course, they've already started the research, so I have specific stuff that they thought was helpful which helps to narrow it down greatly; though, there is still a TON of it. But less of a ton. Lol. 

     Research has kind of taken a backseat as the week has gone on though. We started putting the alcohol treated plastics on TSA and PIA plates to test for contamination. Everything was fine, but plastic 4 has come up with contamination twice! It's a little frustrating, and I'm the one that made those plates, so I keep going back over it in my head wondering if there was some little thing that I did to contaminate it. I'd much rather it be me than the entire plastic sample be contaminated. Maria and Kassandra keep reminding me what a pain it is to create them. Anyway, I can't think of anything that I did and the other five plates that I prepared didn't have any contamination. Boo. Oh! It could be that the plates that show contamination were too wet when prepared. I'm thinking that seems like a Very good possibility because I also prepared a PF plate for my bacteria and when I looked at it under the UV lamp, only the bubbles on the side of the plate fluoresced. Apparently,  Pseudomonas Loves moisture. Obviously, I also had to redo that plate as well. The pictures are pretty cool though. I've got to get back on that background reasearch.