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In this lab, trimyristin was obtained through extraction and recrystallization. Following the outcome of trimyristin, hydrolysis was performed to obtain myristic acid. Two recrystallizations were completed to ensure the purity of the product and compare the products between the two recrystallizations. The amount of crude product that was obtained through extraction was 0.33 grams and resulted in a percent yield of 33%. After the first recrystallization, the amount of product obtained was 0.208 g and resulted in a percent yield of 20.8%. The melting point of the first recrystallized product was 53-54℃. This is a relatively low melting point compared to the melting point of the Trimyristin compound, 56-57℃, due to the impurities that still remain. The impurities may be present because the mixture may not have fully separated before extraction or recrystallization may have not been completed. The amount of product obtained after the second recrystallization is 0.075 g and resulted in a percent yield of 7.5%. The melting point of the second recrystallized product was 57-59℃. This melting point is higher than the melting point of the first recrystallized product because it is purer due to the additional recrystallization. The amount of myristic acid obtained after hydrolysis was 0.07 g and resulted in a percent yield of 38.88%. The melting point of the myristic acid product was 51-52℃. This is a relatively low melting point compared to trymistrin due to the addition of a carboxyl group through hydrolysis and acidification. The percent yields for all products were lower than expected. This could be due to lost product through evaporation when heating or transfers between glassware. An additional cause of low yield could be from over-washing the filtrate with solvent, ultimately losing some product.

By growing the plants in different environments with varying amounts of water, we aim to test the hypothesis that the nastic movement of Mimosa pudica is directly influenced by water availability and turgor pressure. With the lack or excess of water in heat within the 4 environments, the turgor pressure in these leaves may be altered. Through understanding how thigmonasty takes place in Mimosa pudica plants, one can infer how changes in the surrounding environment might affect the plant's nastics movements. The experiment is going to be set up in such a way that we can map collected data plots over each other in order to directly compare the results from the different environments. The collected data will give us answers as to how the varying water levels and temperatures directly impacts the plant’s movements.

 

Lastly, researchers should avoid creating a poster with only black and white text or visuals. A dull black and white poster does not catch the eye of the reader while a poster with colors and visuals make it interesting to look at. Additionally, colors are important because they can be used to highlight different paragraphs or characteristics on a poster. This color coding is a useful tool in highlighting areas of a poster that are particularly important and help with organization. It is also important to note that while colors are important, neon colors and confusing patterns should be avoided as this can be distracting. A balance of visuals and color can enhance the poster; this tactic could be as simple as making the background of the poster a light color. This is why researchers should try to add more vibrant visuals and colors. Some posters observed on the website did not catch my attention because they were bland. 

Pond water organisms are very important in ponds and how they function. They are responsible for things such as nutrient cycling, water quality, disease control and other things like the nutrition of cultured species (Moriaty 2017). Species diversity in microorganisms and things such as protozoans and algae can vary between bodies of water even if they are in close proximity. We wanted to see which pond on the UMass Campus would have a higher diversity index of organisms. We ran a lab and looked at samples from both the Sylvan Pond and Campus Pond and used the Shannon Diversity index formula to figure out which had a higher and more even diversity. The Sylvan pond has murky water and is in a more wooded area than the Campus Pond. In addition, the Campus pond is maintained while the Sylvan pond is not. Before the experiment, we hypothesized that the Sylvan pond would be more diverse than the Campus Pond. After the experiment, we concluded that the Campus pond is actually more diverse than the Sylvan pond, but the Sylvan pond has higher richness. Our results tell us that the Campus pond is more robust, and therefore, better equipped for survival.

Pond water organisms are very important in ponds and how they function. They are responsible for things such as nutrient cycling, water quality, disease control and other things like the nutrition of cultured species (Moriaty 2017). Species diversity in microorganisms and things such as protozoans and algae can vary between bodies of water even if they are in close proximity. We wanted to see which pond on the UMass Campus would have a higher diversity index of organisms. We ran a lab and looked at samples from both the Sylvan pond and Campus pond and used the Shannon Diversity index formula to figure it which had a higher and more even diversity. The Sylvan pond has murky water and is in a more wooded area than the Campus Pond. In addition, the Campus pond is maintained while the Sylvan pond is not. Before the experiment, we hypothesized that the Sylvan pond would be more diverse than the Campus Pond. After the experiment, we concluded that the Campus pond is actually more diverse than the Sylvan pond, but the Sylvan pond has higher richness. This result is important because it tells us that the Campus pond is more robust, and therefore, better equipped for survival

After observing three different scientific posters, I noticed three mistakes that one should avoid and three positive factors that one should follow when making posters. The first factor that negatively affected the poster is overlapping the text boxes on the poster. I noticed in one poster example that the text boxes for each specific paragraph or topic were overlapping rather than having distinct separating lines. This made it difficult to read all of the text as well as distracting to the reader. Mixing the sections on a poster should be avoided; instead, the sections should have distinct margins. A factor to include in a research poster is to have distinct sections for each text box, graph, or image in the poster. Having distinct rows and columns makes the poster more organized and easier to follow. Another mistake to avoid when making a scientific poster is making long paragraphs of text. While having text on the poster is necessary, long blocks of text can be boring to look at. Instead, one should add more images or graphs to break up the text; images and graphs can make the research easier to understand. 

Since scientists still don’t know much about the specific proteins involved with this process, it is hard to give a straight answer. I would assume that the binding site would be the same or at least fairly similar on the different proteins since they all bind to M-Cdk. I never really thought about the fact that protein degradation/proteolysis would be necessary for sister-chromatid separation. However, it makes a lot of sense. If the proteins keeping the chromatids together were still present, it would be much more challenging or even impossible to separate the chromatids. The kinetochore plays a huge role in mitosis, especially sister chromatid separation. While kinetochore sends a signal if the spindle is not properly attached, mutations must occur occasionally. This would most likely lead to an extra chromosome or lack of chromosome in a cell. I wonder if there are any other consequences of a lack of negative signal.

Due to their extreme elasticity and ability to withstand remarkable forces, spider webs have a lot of potential in biotechnology. Discovering more about the factors that influence different characteristics of spider webs, like their thickness, can help us understand more about them and why they are so durable. Modeling the properties of spider webs could be useful in materials engineering and synthesizing a material that is both strong and soft. They could also be used for synthesizing replacement tissues that are flexible and strong.

In order to control the spider’s decision of choosing a side based on substrate color is it important to keep all other factors consistent. If in the experiment the spider forms a web it will be taken out in order to avoid the spider from choosing the same side due to having its web. Both sides of the environment should also be exactly the same except for background color. The temperature needs to be kept consistent inside of the tank. To do this, the spiders need to be kept away from windows and housed somewhere there is no incoming cold air. It has been shown that spiders are less active in colder temperatures, so keeping them at room temperature (70°F) is important. Light entering from outside of the tank should also be the same on both sides. To keep this consistent do not place in sunlight, or somewhere that there are shadows. Overhead lights should be used because they will keep the light even on both sides. The lights will follow an artificial light cycle in a lab setting with day and night.