AL's+Week+of+October+29

AL's Logbook

__10/29/07__ - I've created a new page for my logbook for this week. Today I just looked through the wikipedia articles on the components of my project, such as restriction enzymes.

__10/30/07__ - Today I went to the lab at Notre Dame. I had made a sample of linearized DNA on silicon. What was special about this sample was that while I was waiting (about 10 minutes) for the DNA to deposit on the silicon, I lightly blew it with a Nitrogen gas hose in the hopes of straightening ou the DNA. Earlier, I had used a cover slip to straighten and flatten the DNA. I took the gas blown sample to the AFM today and took some images of it. The sample images, however, weren't that good. Afterwards I talked to Dr. Lieberman about the immediate direction of my project. Next she wants me to try deposting the DNA and immediately applying a coverslip to compress the DNA solution on top of the silicon, followed by a rinsing with water and blowing with nitrogen gas, as usual. Hopefully my DNA will look straighter, longer, and more relaxed under the AFM after applying this procedure.

__11/1/07__ - Today in the lab I made a new sample of DNA on the silicon wafer. This time, instead of waiting 15 minutes for the DNA to deposit on the silicon, I tried something new. This time, I immediately put on a coverslip after depositing the DNA in order to spread the DNA and to hopefully lengthen and relax the linearized DNA strand. After that, I went to the AFM, but only had time to take images of the bare sample of silicon with only the APTES solution on it.