St Petersburg College CETL Mini-Grant Biological Science Student Research Dr. Raymond E. Menard
Goals of This Project Investigate the antimicrobial properties of various herbs and vegetables Isolate and Analyze DNA Using Southern Blot Technique Isolate and Analyze proteins using Western Blot Techniques
This project is designed to give students hands on experience in performing cutting edge science experiments
By gaining more hands on experience in various aspects of scientific research our students will be much more competitive in obtaining employment when they graduate
APPROACH Students and Instructor will first meet to discuss theory and general experimental design Prior to performing experiments students will receive protocols to review Appropriate literature searches will be done and current articles discussed
Critical Thinking! APPROACH What experiments to perform to answer hypotheses If experiment works, what’s next If experiment doesn’t work, what can be changed? What’s the overall significance of the experiment?
Other Positive outcomes!! Organizational Skills Good record keeping Students will keep a lab notebook Time management Team work!!
students will perform: Some examples of experiments the students will perform: Disk Diffusion DNA Transformation DNA extraction DNA digestion DNA analysis (Southern Blot) PCR analysis ProteinAnalysis (Western Blot)
Antimicrobial Properties of Herbs and Vegetables Current status Antimicrobial Properties of Herbs and Vegetables Disk diffusion test implemented First test known “antimicrobials” to optimize system
Disk Diffusion Works with known antimicrobials S. aureus E. coli Bleach Ampicillin Crest Oral Rinse
More Antimicrobials Vinegar Lysol PreWhite Rinse
Herbs and Spices Selected for testing Oregano Cinnamon Sugar Ground Ginger Basil Thyme Rubbed Sage Chili Powder Panang Curry Paste Minced Garlic Garlic Powder Fresh Whole Garlic Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Flakes Whole Cloves Cinnamon Stick
Results Panang Curry Paste and Whole Cloves Had Antimicrobial Activity!! Panang Curry
Results Whole Cloves
DNA ISOLATION from Cheek Cells DNA WAS SUCCESSFULLY ISOLATED FROM CHEEK CELLS
DNA Extraction
Protein Analysis Students Have Successfully Isolated Protein from cheek cells and separated it by Gel Electrophoresis Samples collected on swabs
Results of Protein Extraction and Gel Electrophoresis Gel Set Up Proteins
Future Directions Disk Diffusion: Optimize Concentration of Extracts Different Bacteria Different Herbs 2) Protein Analysis Westerns Blots 3) DNA Analysis Southern Blots
Interdisciplinary Considerations Library Great Journal and Book Resources Reference Managers Formatting Links (APA and MLA) Other Science Disciplines Chemistry (Stephen Andrasik Physics (Ann Marie Eligon) Ethics Statistics
SPECIAL THANKS!! CETL STUDENTS: Adam Davis Jesse Campos Rachel Mattocks Nikki Norring Austin Timmons Sean Kierney AND TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION