Hello guys...

i am finally learning to use this i think... i forgot my password and everything... but got there in the end... now... by looking at the schedule i think we are slightly behind... we haven't even started planning... we really need to go over this seriously during the holidays... or leave it as jenny has camp and internals are due... and all this other crap... what do you think... my excitement is slowly wearing off to be honest...

Our timeline

12 June - Project begins
19 June - Draft of aim, method, etc.
25 June - Ethics due. Final aim, method, etc.
3 August - Last day of school for term 2. Bulk of practical work should be done.
12 August - All work should be finished, most of write-up done.
17 August - Project due. Everything should be finished off, preferably a few days before this date.

Important Dates, Information and Forms

Important Dates

Thursday, June 25 - Human/Microorganisms Ethics Deadline
Thursday, August 13 - 5PM Allocation Meeting (Te Manawa)
Monday, August 17 - Fair Entries Due
Thursday, August 27 - Sunday, August 30 - FAIR WEEKEND
Saturday, August 29 - 6.30PM Prizegiving

Important Information/Forms

Human and Microorganisms Ethics Form
MSTF Entry Form
Authenticity Certificate
Judging Criteria (Guideline Only)

Bacteria - Things to do

If you'd like to take on a task, just write your name next to it or colour code!
Get & keep the blog up to date, work on the problems from the problems post
SET UP A MEETING
Get Mayoora's email and get her on the blog
Print stuff - Jenny
Ethics form (most of this is waiting for Dr. M)
Waiting for Dr M:

• Do we have a place at school to incubate the agar plates (for either bacteria or fungi) at a suitable temperature?
• Could you dispose of them after?
• Also, do we have access to agar & other materials through school and if so do we need to provide money toward the costs of the materials?
• Finally, do we need another teacher to sign us off for parts of it as I notice you're the person we send the form off to at the end?
• Is there an easy way we could identify soil bacteria? Or relatively easy?

Bacteria - potential problems and solutions

How to identify types of bacteria - Jenny

How to control levels of this bacteria in the soils without affecting the plant

Which type of bacteria to use

Which plant to use - not much time so needs to be relatively fast to grow, winter so needs to be able to grow in cold conditions (this is easier than heating the plants and putting them in the sunlight)

Where to grow plants - in greenhouse? Caretaker lets enviro use this

Soil or agar - can we grow the plants on agar or are special chemicals required?

Whether some variables e.g. light need to be varied in case the bacteria is only active at certain light levels. If using a well studied bacterial species, the ideal variables may well be known already.

Bacteria & plants idea - outline

Method should be expanded - HOW are we going to identify the bacteria? How will we prepare the medium? Where/under what conditions will we grow the plants?
AIM: Study the relationship between a plant and a bacterium living in the soil.
METHOD:

1. Identify a bacterium/some bacterial species that lives in the soil that could impact on plant growth.
2. Grow some plants in soil/medium containing high levels of this bacterium, and some in soil containing low levels of it or (preferably) none. (Soil or agar?) Other variables will be kept constant or in some cases a range may be used to confirm that the bacterium has the same action across this variable.
   
3. Note how long it takes plants to germinate (if growing from seed), their heights as they grow. Note anything such as flowering, leaf growth and take any measurements applicable. At the end of the project root length could also be measured and plant removed from soil/medium, washed and weighed.
   

We need to keep constant:
Soil type (ie. where it is sourced from, as well as what's in it) or other growth medium
Water
Light
Temperature
Plant type