Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi Diana,

You are making progress and down to a choice between three different projects, but there’s still more work for you to do. I do need for you to start answering my questions; I am having a difficult time helping here because I need more information from you. Please read through the following and respond with any comments that you have and answer all of the questions. I will not be able to send any more details on these projects because in order for them to be unique, you have to adapt them and figure out what to do.

1. For all of these projects, you will need to start thinking about the details and imagine what you would do for the specific project; otherwise you won’t be able to start. I will give you some suggestions about what you can do. I can’t give you any more details because I am not in your country, and I don’t know what resources you have available. So, please tell me about the possible trash that you have available to study, and tell me if you think you can do either 1 a (measure volume of trash and then try to reduce it over time) or 1 b (go to the local landfill and identify a type of material that could be recycled). If you think you can do one of these projects, then I can suggest background reading.

2. Please ask your professor about the possibility of ordering Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1. Or contact someone locally who has worked on oil spills and ask if they have a culture of a suitable organism. Do you have access to a laboratory where you could work with live bacteria? What type of facilities do you have a school? If you can answer these questions, and obtain the bacterium, then you can do this project. Normally, different types of microorganisms are obtained from gifts from other laboratories, but you will need to find someone who has the organism first. Bacteria can be ordered, but they are expensive and this process takes time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acinetobacter

3. Here again, for this project, I need for you to find out what contaminants are in your local wastewater and for you to pick one to work on. I just mentioned detergents as an example because every country has a problem with detergents in the water. Are there any unique wastewater problems in Lebanon? What contaminants are in the wastewater in your local area?

I hope this helps. Please try to answer my questions so we can make some progress. I do want you to be very successful with this project.

Donna Hardy

Hi Diana,

I have an idea. Do you have someone who could help you read the questions I have asked in the last post? This could be someone in your family or another student who has done a science fair project before. I cannot send any more details because I need more information from you about the environmental problem that you want to solve. I need for you to answer all of my questions and then ask me some questions about the specific topics so I can understand what information you need. If you could find someone to help you, I would be able to give you some suggestions for the next step in your project.

Donna Hardy