Research Project ä Your chance to discover something new ä Develop your own research protocol ä Integrate: ä problem solving skills ä laboratory skills ä knowledge about how the natural world works ä information from others who have studied related systems ä Your chance to discover something new ä Develop your own research protocol ä Integrate: ä problem solving skills ä laboratory skills ä knowledge about how the natural world works ä information from others who have studied related systems 

Ideas ä Characterize composting ä extent of biodegradation as function of moisture content ä extent of biodegradation as function of temperature ä Remediate VOC contaminated site ä vapor phase extraction ä capture VOC on activated carbon ä measure VOC in gas stream coming from soil using Gas Chromatograph ä Characterize endogenous decay of bacteria used in the DO sag experiment as a function of time ä Characterize composting ä extent of biodegradation as function of moisture content ä extent of biodegradation as function of temperature ä Remediate VOC contaminated site ä vapor phase extraction ä capture VOC on activated carbon ä measure VOC in gas stream coming from soil using Gas Chromatograph ä Characterize endogenous decay of bacteria used in the DO sag experiment as a function of time

More Ideas ä Enhance particle removal by slow sand filtration using various “ripening agents” ä Measure methane production from anaerobic digestion of garbage as a function of moisture content, inoculum volume, type of garbage, or … ä Enhance particle removal by slow sand filtration using various “ripening agents” ä Measure methane production from anaerobic digestion of garbage as a function of moisture content, inoculum volume, type of garbage, or …

And More Ideas ä Evaluate phosphorus removal through various porous media ä Determine the cause of and eliminate the long tail for the Flow with Dispersion reactor ä Evaluate extent of aeration required to bring our “lake” into CO 2 equilibrium with the atmosphere ä Build a semi-automated phosphorus analyzer ä Evaluate phosphorus removal through various porous media ä Determine the cause of and eliminate the long tail for the Flow with Dispersion reactor ä Evaluate extent of aeration required to bring our “lake” into CO 2 equilibrium with the atmosphere ä Build a semi-automated phosphorus analyzer

Constraints ä Safety! ä Can it be done in two weeks? ä Do we have the instruments for the measurements? ä detection limits ä sampling requirements-how fast does the system change? ä Safety! ä Can it be done in two weeks? ä Do we have the instruments for the measurements? ä detection limits ä sampling requirements-how fast does the system change? Is the experimental apparatus feasible? What preparation is required? bacteria cultures assembly of apparatus reagents Waste generation

What has been done before? ä Student research results from previous years ä Consult researchers on campus ä WWW ä Literature search ä books in the library ä BIOSIS Previews via Cornell Library Web site ä Student research results from previous years ä Consult researchers on campus ä WWW ä Literature search ä books in the library ä BIOSIS Previews via Cornell Library Web site

Research Proposal (March 28) ä In 2 pages describe your research project including the following: ä State question or hypothesis ä Describe experiment and how it will test the hypothesis ä Describe method of data acquisition ä State expectations based on previous research or what you know about the system ä Plot graphs of potential results ä Describe how you would interpret the results ä Describe necessary data analysis ä Cite at least 3 references ä In 2 pages describe your research project including the following: ä State question or hypothesis ä Describe experiment and how it will test the hypothesis ä Describe method of data acquisition ä State expectations based on previous research or what you know about the system ä Plot graphs of potential results ä Describe how you would interpret the results ä Describe necessary data analysis ä Cite at least 3 references

Materials and Methods (April 16) ä Develop step by step procedures based on mentally working through the experiment. ä Describe apparatus setup ä List quantities and source of reagents and supplies ä Detail startup procedure ä Describe how you will know when the experiment is over ä Describe sampling and analysis procedures ä Detail shutdown and waste disposal procedures ä Develop step by step procedures based on mentally working through the experiment. ä Describe apparatus setup ä List quantities and source of reagents and supplies ä Detail startup procedure ä Describe how you will know when the experiment is over ä Describe sampling and analysis procedures ä Detail shutdown and waste disposal procedures