As a freshman I
applied to be a lab assistant for a graduate researcher working in Dr. Foster’s
lab. However, I quickly became intrigued with the research team’s studies of
humic substances. After many conversations with Dr. Foster I was able to write
a proposal to OSCAR, focusing on the extraction of humic acids from local
surface waters in order to subject them to further characterization. I was able
to develop, refine, and build upon this extraction process throughout my
sophomore year and subject my samples to fluorescence spectrophotometry.
However, I was still unable to further concentrate my samples to be purely
humics and was interested in quantifying their weight via mass spectrometry.
This led me to apply to OSCAR again, focusing on concentration methods and
molecular weight.
My typical week
consists of going into the lab at the Potomac Science center. I filter the
samples, run them through my extraction column, and elute them out. From there
we have developed a method to desalt the eluted samples and then the water has
to be evaporated off. Another method we have developed uses toluidine blue, a
dyeing agent, that will bind to the humics, so that we can run the samples
through a Spec 20 and determine the parts per million of humics in the sample of
water collected. Lastly, we have yet another method still in the works that
uses a high performance liquid chromatography column. This method will allow us
to gain more insight to the size of the compounds.
Being able to
perform this research has been such an incredible opportunity! I have presented
my research at numerous conferences. The methods that I am using are a real
life application of what I have learned in my classes, but in most cases, the
methods that I am using have gone past what I have learned in my courses. I
feel more prepared for a career in this field, since I have had so much
experience working in a lab.
