Master's Research:

Antibiotics are a pillar of human medicine and the agricultural industry. The high usage of antibiotics increases the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). My collaborators at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo are investigating ARG presence in the local watershed. ARGs are detected through water, soil, and periphyton samples; periphyton is a biofilm comprised mainly of algae which grows on submerged surfaces. These environments can be difficult to sample due to steep embankments, deeper water, or hazardous water quality. I designed a robotic sampling system to scrub periphyton off rocks, as this would increase the number of samples collected and locations which can be sampled at. To my knowledge, this is the first robotic periphyton sampling system. This research was done in the CrabLab at Case Western Reserve University under Dr. Kathryn Daltorio's advisement and with the collaboration of Dr. Patricia Dennis and MJ Camphausen.

Requirements:

1. Sampler must be able to physically scrape periphyton off underwater rocks

2. Sampling element must only be exposed during the sampling of a specific location, not before or after

3. The sampler must be interfaceable with our already built crab-inspired robot

Basic function:

Uses positive or negative hydraulic pressure acting on the plug to extend or retract a brush. The brush will scrub the periphyton and collect a sample. A silicone ball seals the tube when the brush is retracted. The brush will scrub a rock to dislodge periphyton when extended and collect a sample. This design keeps the system simple while fully containing the sampler. A brush-based design was used as it is a common way to manually collect periphyton in the field.