Team:Cornell/notebook/drylab/week 11

Entry:

With regards to the previous entry, Maneesh was able to fix the leak involving the graphite rods with weatherproofing silicone sealant. However, the sealant shrank in the autoclave. As the ultimate solution, we will seal the bioreactor caps with Underwater and High-Temperature Gasket-forming sealant.

Additionally, we have finally received funding from ConocoPhillips. Unlike during the summer, we no longer have to keep a tight leash on spending and can move forward with ordering a full inventory of parts. Dan has been diligently making an order list, which includes several kinds of filters. We will need to filter out sediment and foreign microorganisms in the water entering the system, as well as prevent Schewanella from leaving the system.

Over the summer, Maneesh has looked for methods of sterilizing the tubes to prevent bacteria from building up inside the tubes, given our constraints on energy and volume space. One possibility is to line the tube walls with silver ions which are naturally antimicrobial. We can run a low electric current to increase potency. Another idea is to have clear tubing wrap around a UV light source to increase the length of the tube that can be sterilized. Chie is currently finding UV lamps that could be implemented into our device.

During these last days of vacation, Dan suggested a new system for tracking the division of labor for the upcoming semester. He will introduce these plans in the next general body meeting. Meanwhile, I hope everybody has a short but well-deserved break!

#bioreactor #waterproofing #sterilization #benjamins