Author Archives: aalexiev

So we’ve done our data collection, we’ve done more PCR than we could ever imagine, and we finally got our sequences. Now what? We analyze our data using Qiime, a software that will help us see connections between our microbe … Continue reading →

After spending the majority of our time collecting samples and doing water chemistry on site, we are all back in our lab ready to do DNA extractions and PCR galore. Unfortunately, the kim wipes we used to scrub microbes off … Continue reading →

We finally got all our equipment for gathering metadata on the water, and decided to do some sample testing using tap water and saltwater from the tank. We ended up with the following:   Tap water – NO2-N levels: 65 … Continue reading →

We’ve ordered and are recieving a series of equipment to measure Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, dissolved Oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, Phosphate, alkalinity, Chloride, hardness, Iron, and Sulfite in the tanks’ waters. Now we can gather more information about the environment these microbes … Continue reading →

For the past week, we’ve been doing preliminary sampling, as well as some DNA extractions and PCR on samples from the saltwater and freshwater flasks of water that we filtered and the wall and protein skimmer from the saltwater tank. … Continue reading →

Yes, a boring title, but that’s exactly what this is. I am Alex Alexiev, second year biological sciences major. I’ve been thinking about a microbiology major for the past year or so, and this lab seems like a step in … Continue reading →