Monitoring growth of new set-ups by taking gas samples and injecting in Gas Chromatograph to measure methane composition
Author: McKenzie Ragan | Major: Biology | Semester: Fall 2024
Hello! My name is McKenzie Ragan, I am undergraduate student in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. I am majoring in Biology, and I am currently in my last year at the university, one semester left! I am currently working on a research project with my mentor Dr. Timothy Kral, who is in the biology department. The research is specifically in the field of astrobiology, aiming to create an understanding of the possibility of life on Mars. During the Fall semester of 2024, I continued working on my funded research project in the Kral laboratory. While my research is in continuation of past semesters, this semester has been highly focused on answering some questions that were posed at a research convention that my project was presented at in Spring 2024. In the future I hope to understand every aspect of my research and create a well-rounded project that I can defend in the Spring 2025.
Biology is such a broad field for research and while many projects contribute much to the field, my project specifically helps expand our knowledge of astrobiology, or life in the universe (not just Earth). I think there has been a large gap in our knowledge of what we know about life beyond Earth and with my work, and others, we are slowly working to fill in the missing pieces to create a better understanding of life and its future possibilities. Specifically, my research is centered around Mars, which is a planet that many scientists have been focused on because of its proximity to earth. My studied focus on microorganisms and their ability to persist in such a unique environment such as mars, this expands our understanding of different biological processes needed to survive in different conditions than what we know on Earth, contributing largely to an understanding of future life forms in the universe.
When I first started my research project, I wanted to pick a topic and a mentor who would allow me to grow independently as a researcher but also challenge me to put my knowledge and problem-solving skills to the test. Astrobiology was not a field that I had ever explored before and as someone who loves to learn it piqued my interest. When I reached out to Dr. Kral about his lab, he explained to me that while all his students in his lab are focused on a similar goal each project is unique to the student which really allows for a student to take initiative on a new topic and its exploration. This was exactly what I was looking for, guided research that also allows the student to explore on their own and grow as a researcher.
Research is not a black and white picture because when you are exploring a new topic you never know what it will throw at you. One of the first things my mentor explained to me was that when you are conducting research you will usually have more failures than successes at first, but those failures are what allow you to problem solve and find solutions that guide you past those failures. Dr. Kral and I have worked closely throughout the Fall 2024 semester to create a broader understanding of my project. In the Spring 2024 semester, Dr. Kral presented my research at the Astrobiology Science Conference in Maine. It was here that we were able to get new perspectives on my project and we received some constructive feedback from other researchers in this field. After my mentor and I discussed the feedback, we developed new methodology to help answer some of those questions and create a better understanding of the project.
My project focuses on the unique metabolism of Methanogens, produce Methane as byproduct of energy conversion, provides a sufficient way to monitor their growth using Gas chromatography. Using Pyrite as energy source for my Methanogens is critical because they normally survive off Hydrogen as their main energy source. Exploring alternative energy sources, allows for even more incentive to believe that Methanogens could exist on Mars.
This semester I aimed to answer questions posed at the conference which revolved around Pyrite, and how sterilization affects the chemical properties supplementing growth. While I am still formulating conclusions, I have created new set-ups in the lab to help isolate variables to answer this question. I am closely monitoring growth by taking readings using gas chromatography every two weeks to understand and find patterns in growth. My focus this semester has been on understanding pyrite and its influence on my organisms. The feedback I received from the conference has motivated me to assure that all ends of my project come together so that in my final semester I can present a carefully constructed project that answers the question I have been working towards for the past two years.
I want to thank Dr. Kral for his continued support and help with my project, he has made this process exciting and fun for me as a student, which is a bonus to all the opportunities he has given me to further my academic career. I have truly enjoyed this process and I look forward to finalizing my project and presenting it in my last semester. I also want to thank the university for funding my project, which has allowed me to have the freedom to focus on the research at hand and not the financial burdens. I am grateful for everyone who believed in me and wanted to support me through this process.