Round 2, Week 1M.B.T.S.

The Buck Institute

Visit to the Buck Institute

Visit Summary:

We met with Dr. Birgit to receive the tardigrades and speak with her on the best ways to care for them. We took a look at the tardigrades for the first time under a digital microscope. Dr. Birgit also gave us a tour of the Buck Institute and pointed out the various equipment they use to look at organism's DNA.

Academy of Sciences

Visit to the Academy of Sciences

Visit Summary:

We met with Dr. Meg Lowman and discussed problems that we need to address before sending tardigrade habitat to space. I.e. foreign bacteria in the habitat, or gravity. We also spoke about the different species/types of tardigrades (ones that feed on algae and plants, carnivorous tardigrades, bacteria eating tardigrades). We discussed these topics with Dr. Lowman and the “tardigrade expert”, Dr. William Miller, a scientist from Texas.

Update on Tardigrades- Tardigrades are ALIVE.

- They are currently under Christina’s care. Care instructions followed are from Dr. Birgit.

- They are fed algae weekly and when the water runs low, spring/mineral water is added to the petri dish.

- Under the microscope, we can see that there are tardigrades swimming around and there are many eggs.

Update on Tardigrades

- We managed to enact a group of tardigrades into their tun state, having them dried on a separate slide.

- After putting them into their tun state, we added spring water to them and they uncurled from their dried out state.

During tun state:

After tun state:

Original Design: Revised Design:

Check valves will be added only in the space design.

Check Valves

Materials to Buy List :

- Digital Microscope: AM SCOPE - prime $139.98- Pipettes (plastic): KINGLAKE Plastic Transfer Pipettes - prime ($6.99) - Advanced pipette: pipette ($24.50), pipette tip ($6.23), pipette tip holder ($4.99)

= $35.72- Tubes (for ISS tardigrade design): Tubes ($5.19) (already bought by Drew)- Laboratory film (for tardigrade transport): Parafilm ($23.99) - prime- (x2) Arduino UNO rev 3 (arduino uno r3 ($16.06 x 2 = $32.12)) - prime- USB cable (AmazonBasics USB 2.0 Cable, 6ft ($4.99)) - prime - Motor (for the making the pump): $5.00 (Mark bought)- Indented slides: depression slides, pack of 6 - prime ($4.95)- Pouches to hold water and algae: aluminum foil pouches ($5.99 + $4.49 shipping

= $10.48)- Sugru (moldable glue): black, pack of 8 - prime ($18.75)- PN2222A transistor: Transistors, Arduino, ($6.75)- Sonline 50x Through Hole Carbon Film Resistors 220 Ohm: (Resistors for motors

($5.66)

Total cost:

$300.57 (including $4.49

shipping from

Amazon) +

$16.13 tax

(from Amazon) =

$311.70

How we feel about this week…(1-10)

Christina - 10 (we got a good amount of work done and are pretty ready for next week)Andrew - 9 (good amount of work done)Remy - 9 (We have begun to actually work with the tardigrades and are going to be starting the building process of the habitat.)Jake - 9Mark - 10