Writing in Biology

Overall, the results from this experiment were not at all what would be hoped for. The carboxylic acid had an extremely low yield, and the neutral compound had a calculated yield of over 100%, meaning there was substantial contamination. The carboxylic acid also had colored impurities added from the pH strips, causing the crystals to turn a dark color. The ether layer still had a substantial amount of water even after being separated from the aqueous layer, and many clumps of CaCl2 were added in an attempt to dehydrate the solution. Although this helped remove some of the water, it is likely that there was still some amount of water present. This issue, along with other unnoticed errors in handling, caused a high level of contamination in the sample. Due to the contamination, more mass was recrystallized than was originally dissolved in the solution.

In the spring of 2018, as part of the Writing in Biology class at the University of Massachusetts I was assigned a project with the specific goal is to create a multi paneled scientific illustration that displays a flowering plant on the Umass campus. ​

The project also hoped to enhance my scientific writing ability and the ability to construct a methods section that can be followed by a complete stranger and still provide the same results. The plant I picked was Camellia Japonica, a flowering plant native to eastern China and southern Japan. The organism was found Durfee Conservatory and Garden on the Umass campus between UHS and Morrill II. It is a flowering organism that is not within normal human reach in order to reduce the amount of interaction with the sample. It is a bright pink flower on a small tree like plant, allowing it to be easily identifiable. The fact that the organism has reduced human interaction and is also easily identifiable will allow this experiment to be easy replicated by other interested scholars.  Overall this organism will provide a wonderful sample for this experiment and should allow for a successful multi-panel to be created.

An original figure was made and a methods proportion written in order for a colleague to create an analogous replicate figure.  Both the original and replicate figures detailing the orchid Oncidium Sharry Baby have differences despite following the same methods.  Photos in parts A and B of figure 2 are taken at angles and distances non-congruent to figure 1, and differ hue due to the usage of two different cameras.  Part C of figure 2 is comprised of a different world map as well as an alternate hue of turquoise.  There was also highlighting of the caribbean islands in figure 2 part C due to a misunderstanding of the countries that comprise central america.  In figure 2 there was differences in font, bolding, and orientation of the panel labels.  The methods were closely followed to produce figure 2, resulting in quantitative differences in comparison to figure 1.

The Spring 2018 Writing in Biology Class Methods project focused on the importance of a methods section in scientific writing. One student made a figure and wrote a methods section that would allow another student to recreate it. The student made a figure the Blc Momilani ‘The Gypsy’ flower that is located in the Durfee Conservatory on the University of Massachusetts Amherst Campus. When another student recreated the figure of the plant, differences were observed in the labels of the figure, which were a consequence of an unspecific methods section. Photography was also another way in which the figures were different. The differences in the photos taken of the plant were because of different cameras used and an unspecified description of how to take the picture. Finally, differences were observed in Part C of the figures. The differences in Part C were caused by directions in inkscape that were impossible to perfectly recreate.

Mars

            The fourth plant from the sun, Mars, has been something scientists at NASA have been gaining information on for the last few years. Dating back to the Romans and Greeks, they have named this bloody colored planet based on their God of war. Its red color is due to the rust of the iron-rich minerals that are very abundant on the planet. Like Earth, it contains an atmosphere, although thin, but is significant enough to mean there is flowing liquid water on the surface which has been confirmed. Mars is also home of the largest volcanoes in the solar system, one of which is 370 miles in diameter, in comparison, enough to cover the entire state of New Mexico. Compared to Earth, the climate of Mars is much colder due to its distance from the sun. The average temperature reaching negative 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but also has the ability to reach negative 195 degrees Fahrenheit as well as 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to its temperature, it is also 95% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, and 0.13% oxygen. The temperature, atmospheric make up and distance have been the key concerns with manned exploration on mars, however NASA has been able to unmanned space crafts to gather more information on the planet as years go by. With this, they hope to be able to send a manned mission to mars by 2030, this being a one-way trip as the trip takes seven months to reach Mars which would deplete resources quickly disabling the return of the astronaut.

The purpose of this project was to search for plants on campus that could be used to create a multipanel figure that would later be followed step by step another student using a methods process. The flower chosen for this project was the Camellia-Japonica Debutante, which can be found in the Dufree Conservatory outside of Morrill 4. In this paper we will identify how the flower imagery was created and replicated and what steps could be modified or improved to get better results on both ends.

G-protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs, are the common mode of receptor singling via GTP binding proteins and thus play a key role in the mediation of a wide variety of different physiological signals. The polypeptide chain that makes up GPCRs passes through the plasma membrane of the cell seven times and can also be called 7-tm receptors. Due to their importance in the signaling of changes in the concentration of hormones, lipids, neurotransmitters, photons and more, determining the mechanism for G-protein-coupled receptors and how it is able to discriminate and regulate these signals were questions of paramount importance to medicine and molecular biology.

In Spring 2018, as part of Biology Writing 312 course at University of Massachusetts, Amherst we were given the Methods Project. The Methods Project is designed for each student to create their own multi paneled figure. I was instructed to find a flower from anywhere around the campus, and to create a multi panel with at least three different parts to the figure. The panel is supposed to contain a close up photo of the flower, a photo that contains the whole plant, and a map illustrating where the flower we had chose originally comes from. After we created ou individual figures, I submitted the final draft to Professor Brewer so he could give a copy to a classmate.

    I obtained two photos of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Malvaceae, commonly known as the “Snow Queen,” from the Morrill Greenhouses at 12-1 pm. The first photo I obtained was a detailed close up of the flower, while the second photo was a photo that included detail of the plant as a whole. I also created a map that showed the flower originated in East Asia. I created one multi paneled figure with the two photos and the map I created.  I then gave my methods to a classmate to obtain similar photos that I had taken, and for them to create their own multi paneled figure by following what I had did. The results showed that the figure produced by my classmate was different than the figure I had produced. The panel produced by my classmate was structured different as Figure 2A was the close up photo and Figure 2B was the full plant, while Figure 1A was the full plant and Figure 1B was the close up. Figure 2C highlighted two more countries than Figure 1C. The photos in Figure 2 were taken at different angles than Figure 1. Figure 1 had more spaces in between the photos than Figure 2. Factors that lead to the differences between the figures were: different programs to put the separate photos together, photographed a different flower of the same species,  and picking the layouts based on the person’s preference.

    In any kind of experiment carried out an important aspect is the methods section. This impacts whether your results are valid and can be carried out by other colleagues. In this assignment, skills were obtained after learning that in order to have others follow your methods and create an identical result, a key thing is being specific. There are factors that compose a scientific literature and through this project we saw the components of being innovative and using correct word choice.