Friday, July 3, 2009

Today, I woke up to the blaring of a thunder storm. I don't think I've heard that much thunder before in my life. When dennis and I got to the vw for breakfast, a large portionnof the dining hall was flooded. I wonder if flooding is a normal thing at brown... I hope not.

In lab today, I sicceafully isolated my own DNA. Once this was done, we used a spectropetometer at two different eve lengths to determine the DNA to protein ratio. A number above six is considered sufficiently pure for analysis. My sample was 1.73 which is very pure. In addition, we isolated pdna from the cells I mentioned previously, which we used a restricion digest on and then will electrophores on Monday.

Tomorow it's off to New York!
Until then,
Joseph Young

3 comments:

Charles Tillman Ramsey said...

I want to wish you a safe and speedy trip to New York City. I am sure that your time in the City will be enjoyable and relaxing.

No, I do not think that a flooded dining hall is something that is expected at Brown University. The administration will have to find funidng to correct this engineering problem.

Dennis, you have met many people while at Brown, tell us about them. Let us know how they compare to the students back here at El Cerrito High School. What are the students in your class like? What is their level of motivation? Do they predominently attend Private schools? Have you meet any students who live in the East Bay?

Take us "behind the walls" and give us a profile of a typical student who is in the Brown Summer Studies Program for High School students. It would be fascinating to hear your prespective.

Thanks again and have a great time in the Big Apple.

Charles T. Ramsey, Esq.
School Board Member
West Contra Costa
Unified School District

Don Gosney said...

Joseph,

I've worked heavy construction my whole life so let me give you the straight skinny on flooding: it's a bad thing. Unless you're growing rice, dry is a good thing.

So there you have it and it didn't cost the ILC a dime extra for this added bit of education.

I'm confused, about your lab experiment. With regards to the DNA to protein ration, if "a number above six is considered sufficiently pure for analysis" but yours was only 1.73, how can you say that yours is "very pure"? Am I misreading this?

Joseph Young said...

I meant one point six.
Excuse me.