Team:Columbia-Cooper/Notebook

Lab Notebook

August 10

Today the attached procedure outlined for synthesizing quantum dots biologically was followed for each of the bacteria cultures made on August 8. However, when samples were prepared using this protocol, certain variables were left out. This decision made these samples into controls. As such, they were used to determine whether quantum dots had actually been synthesized last week.

Notice, in the list of samples prepared below certain samples were made excluding one of the following variables: cadmium chloride solution, sodium sulfide or bacteria.

1. DH5alpha, Cadmium Chloride and Sodium Sulfide
2. CDS7, Cadmium Chloride and Sodium Sulfide
3. 127, Cadmium Chloride and Sodium Sulfide
4. CDS7 and Sodium Sulfide
5. CDS7 and Cadmium Chloride
6. Cadmium Chloride and Sodium Sulfide

It was unclear whether quantum dots had been synthesized because each supernatant of each controls fluoresced. It was found that LB broth is fluorescent. Because LB has this quality and is present in all of our samples, the presence of quantum dots can not be confirmed using fluorescent spectrometry at this time. The quantum dots supposedly produced last week may not be present and the fluorescence of the sample attributable to the LB broth alone.