RM's+Week+of+November+19

RM's Logbook


 * Monday, November 19, 2007**

Yesterday, I looked online for papers written about AFM and DNA. I found a really good paper which is easier to read, in terms of the layout, pictures, graphs, etc. I'm planning to read that this weekend. I thought that Dr. Lieberman and Dr. Sarveswaran wrote a paper on DNA and using the AFM, but I was unable to find it online. Sometimes I feel that I lose sight of what the research is supposed to accomplish, so here's the goal: To linearize DNA on silicon (a semi-conductor) so that people can analyze it in depth. Although DNA is easily viewable on mica, silicon is a semi-conductor, which has more applications for nanotechnology. So, on that note, here's another website that I found regarding nanotechnology- actually, it puts AFM in the back seat- it's an amazing invention from MIT. Anyway, here it is: [|From the Lab: Nanotechnology].


 * Tuesday, November 20, 2007**

Dr. Sarveswaran e-mailed me yesterday, informing me that she will not be in the lab after school today. Thus, I don't go into the lab until next Tuesday. So, I brought along a paper to read in class today, dealing with single-cell elastography. It's written by a member of Columbia University's Department of Biomedical Engineering. The paper is also quite long, and I should be able to finish it within a couple of days.


 * Wednesday, November 21, 2007**

I actually finished the paper yesterday. For the record, elastography seeks to discover the mechanical properties of tissues. I skipped over the really technical portions, but I caught the gist of the paper. What I find really valuable are the references that the author used. Obviously, many are published in renowned science journals -hopefully, I can obtain them to further read up on AFM and DNA. Last night, too, I found another paper that should aid me in understanding the biological applications of AFM. This weekend, my plan is to develop a few ideas for my own research this year. While I'm still learning the basics, then, I can make headway with identifying a goal I wish to accomplish.


 * Thursday, November 22, 2007**

No school. Happy Thanksgiving.


 * Friday, November 23, 2007**

No school.

Week of November 12

Week of November 26