Day 7 - 3rd Dec

Today, we went to the Facility For Analysis Characterisation Testing Simulation to use the Transmission electron microscopy on Ms YanPings samples with her and Mr ZhaoLong!

the TEM machine is even bigger and more complex and the SEM we used yesterday!

The lights had to be switched off to use the tem

We were using the machine for a long time just to get the right picture on the samples. After using the tem, we then called it a day!

Day 6 - 2nd Dec

Today we met our new mentor, ZhaoLong, who gave us each a handout and briefed us on what we'll be doing later such as the scanning electron microscope which we will be using in the afternoon. We then did our online research and went for lunch. Afterwhich, Ms Pearlie surprised as with doughnuts and kue lapis!

Thank you Ms Pearlie!!

We then went to the Facility For Analysis Characterisation Testing Simulation 

using a auto fine coater on the metal to be used in the sem

the scanning electron microscope

images captured using the SEM

we then watched Ms Pearlie do a ultrasonification then called it a day!

Day 5 - 29th Nov

Today we started off by placing the bacteria in a medium containing phosphate 

we then placed the flask in a magnetic stirrer for 6 hours to allow the bacteria to take up the phosphate and store it in them.

After 6 hours, we removed the flask and transferred them into the container to be placed inside a centrifuge

We also conducted an experiment whereby we were able to use the Thermogravimetric Analysis 

 

weighing ammonium molybdate

using a vortex mixture to dissolve ammonium molybdate into the ascorbic acid

we also used a pH paper to measure the pH of the mixture

using a pipette to place a drop of the mixture onto the copper pan

Afterwhich we heated the pan and placed it in the thermogravimetric analysis and called it a day!

Day 4 - 28th Nov

Today was a chill day where we started off with lunch and then explored the campus and went to the Chinese Heritage Centre

Afterwhich we went back to the lab to continue on our online research, got exposed to different kinds of machines, and started working on day 5's experiment!

Day 3 - 27th Nov

We started the day by collecting the laptops and started on our online research and blog entry! We are stilll undecided as to what topic to choose for our presentation next friday but we are slowly getting there (:

We then continued on the experiment we made a few days back to collect the bacteria cells we made from the medium

Pipetting the solution into cuvettes to test its light absorbance 

Pouring the solution into different containers to put them in a centrifuge

Putting the container on the weighing scale and weighing them because all the four different containers have to be of the same mass! 

Placing them into the big centrifuge!

How the containers look like after being spun in the centrifuge

Pouring the supernatant back into the flask before disposal

Scooping out the pellet using a scalpel 

Weighing the pellet!

We then diluted the pellet by pouring the buffer solution made from day 1 and it dissolved almost instantly!

Afterwhich, we proceeded to use the automatic pipette as they are not found in our colleges and called it a day!

Day 2 - 26th Nov

This morning we started off with adding the samples into the wells of the gel from yesterdays experiment and conducted gel electrophoresis!

Afterwhich we went to the e-learning studio to do some online research 

We then had our lunch at the Quad Cafe and walked around the campus to view the different facilities the school has to offer. After our break, we went back to the lab to measure the growth of the E.coli from yesterdays experiment by placing samples of it in a cuvette and using a machine to test the light transmittance. 

We then made a medium for the E.coli culture and got to use different apparatus that are not found in our colleges!

We then placed the flasks into the autoclave machine and called it a day!

Day 1 - 25th Nov

On the first day of the work shadowing program, we settled in the e-learning studio and had several introductory talks to the 2 week work shadowing program we will have. Afterwhich, we met our mentor, Ms Pearlie, and proceeded on to have our lunch break.

We then went to the lab where we watched Ms Pearlie conduct several experiments. The first being making a medium for the E.coli culture!

Ms Pearlie conducting an experiment

We then proceeded on to a different lab where we followed Ms Pearlie to make a gel for protein identification and a buffer solution.

The first day of the work shadowing made us realised how much a researcher has to multitask by conducting several experiments at once! Which is something we will have to get used to.

Looking forward to the days to come! (: