LAB NOTEBOOK/ BLOG

May 30th, 2022 — The Farewell

Well, this is it! High school and MARC are done. I completed my final paper and gave my final presentation last Wednesday. The presentations were moved online (which was unfortunate) but we made the most of it. So many people came and cheered us on — my friends, family, mentor, and many others who have helped me with my project were in attendance. I went first, which was definitely a little stressful, but it was nice to be done afterwards. Once I started talking and clicking through my slideshow, things went very quickly. It was nice to share everything I've learned over the last two years with a larger audience. I'm definitely going to miss the amazing MARC community and Amy, but I'm looking forward to moving on to undergraduate research next year. All in all, MARC was a great learning experience, and I'm glad I did it.

April 1, 2022

The potatoes were planted about a month and a half ago, and three of the Earth controls are growing beautifully! AND, none of the Mars controls are growing, so... my experiment is valid! Unfortunately, none of the other Mars potatoes are growing, so the message is that yes, Martian regolith needs additions to sustain plant life, but no, we don't know what those additions are yet. Now I'm finishing up the experiment, and working on my paper. After SPRING BREAK, there's only 3 more weeks of classes, then Senior Projects, then it's time for the final paper and presentation. So close, yet so far away!

Mid-Quarter Update

So much has happened in the last few months! Here are some highlights:

The imitation Martian soil arrived! (as did other supplies)
I sifted the soil
All of the additives were finalized
The potatoes were sprouted
I cut the sprouted potatoes

This week the goal is to get the potatoes into the soil, once the additives are in. There have been a few curve-balls, like how long to keep the grow-lights on (12 hours on, 12 hours off to mimic Mars), and how to keep the super-fine soil from falling through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pots. But, after looking back at the literature and asking other for help, these issues have been resolved. Many thanks to Amy for all of the help, and Jim for his continued advice!

End of November Update

Here's a table I'm using to track my calculations and what I need to purchase!

This month I'm focusing on getting ready for my experiment. This includes calculating how much of each additive nutrient I need, how much soil, and purchasing everything.

End of October Update

I've had two meetings with semi-mentors and I'm working on getting actual soil simulant! The next two months are scheduled to be preparation for my experiment, which will begin in early January. That should give the potatoes enough time to grow, and me enough time to analyze the data before the final presentation.

September 14th

After sending five more mentor emails in the last week and a half, I finally have a positive response! I'm going to set up a meeting, and hopefully it goes well. I've also been editing my proposal and I'm close to being able to start my experiment. It's going to be great!

August 29th

I'm officially a senior MARCer! Yay! I'm really excited to start my experiment and hopefully get some significant results this year. I've had to pivot a little bit, but Amy (the new MARC teacher) had a great suggestion: I could take sand from the beach and remove all of the microbes to simulate a crushed-rock environment. In September my goal is to start my experiment, while I keep looking for a mentor. Here's hoping it goes well!

Week of May 24th

Well, I presented my end of the year report. Two more days of classes, a couple of possible mentor emails, and then summer!

On a more sad note, Stori is leaving. :( We're all really going to miss her, but I hope she enjoys Alaska and all of the animals that she'll be able to observe and study. I will definitely be emailing her for advice and help. The new teacher seems nice, and I'm excited to get to know her next year.

This is my last post of this school year, so see you in the 2021-2022 school year! Happy Summer!

Week of May 17th

Wow, only one more week of classes! I can't believe this school year is almost over. The end of the year means progress presentations, so that's what I've been working on this week: consolidating a year of work into a poster. Of course, the poster doesn't take into account the three other topics I chose throughout the year. Next school year I'll complete my experiment with the help of my mentor (who I've still yet to find). I can't wait!

Week of May 10th

Despite my best efforts, I hit a roadblock. I sent emails to about five different people listed in the author section of the simulated Mars soil article — only one of them actually went through. :( My next step is to look at NASA astrobiology scientists or university professors specializing in that area. School ends in two weeks, so I really hope I find someone soon!

Week of May 3rd

I sent a mentor email today! Hopefully he responds soon and I can get some fake Mars soil. It's been a pretty uneventful week — I worked on my experiment development, the email, and this blog. I'm excited to see if I get a response next week!

First Entry!

Q: What do the SAT and the MARC program have in common?

A: You will read random science articles on topics you never thought you'd explore, and then answer questions about them.

I should probably state up front that this is definitely not the topic I thought I'd be studying when I applied for the MARC program. To be fair, I had no idea what to research, but I thought it would be more math or computer science oriented. Oh, well. Now when people ask me what my research project topic is, I get to say that I'm growing potatoes on Mars. While not strictly accurate, it's definitely an interesting hook. (I mean, clearly it was interesting enough to get you to the second tab on this site. Unless you're a future MARCer, in which case this is probably a class assignment.)

So, where am I in my research? I'm developing an experiment and working to find a mentor. Even though I'm not actually growing any potatoes yet, I'm learning a lot and enjoying the process. Stay tuned for updates!

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