Caves

Caves (cont.)

Soil Crusts

Indigo-Carmine (ICM) Experiment Purpose: To detect if there’s biological activity in soil sample by checking for color change in the ICM solution Materials: – Test tube – Soil Sample – PBS – ICM dye solution – LB (food for microorganisms)

1. Take ONE test tube per group 2. Collect soil sample Wet soil Soil crust/Dry soil Soil with no life 3. Put a teeny tiny amount of soil sample (about 0.2g) 4. Mix buffer and dye 5. Put a teeny tiny amount of LB liquid or glucose solution into test tube with soil sample Fill so that upto about end of the curvy part (just about 2 small drops with pipette) 6. Now, fill your test tube with buffer and ICM dye solution up to the very top Fill until there’s a sort of bubble formed at the top of the test tube,, or until you can make sure there are no air bubbles 7. Cap, close and shake often 8. Watch and wait, record any time you see a color change If it goes from blue to green/yellow/clear, there’s biological activity (there’s living micro-organisms in the soil sample) Record date and time each time you see a color change. Indigo-Carmine (ICM) Experiment: Procedure

Our other adventures in the Mojave Desert...

The End NASA Spaceward Bound: Mojave 2009