5 September 2018 ✷ Starting Over

The first time around, soil was collected with a broader question; however, this time, we collected soil with a narrower scope and research question, which is:

“In the Texana House area of campus, is there a correlation between presence of phage and tree species?”

My table, Groups 5 and 6, collected soil from trees in the Texana area. Each member of my group collected from the same Red Oak tree in front of Rogers Engineering and Computer Science building.

Procedure:

• My group, group 5, ventured to the north part of campus to collect soil from the large red oak in front of Rogers. Group 6 collected from a nearby white oak.
• We measured the circumference of the tree at 137 cm above the ground, then measured the distance from the center of the tree that the smallest part of the crown reached and then the widest part of the crown. We added those two values and divided by 2 to get the canopy diameter.
• We estimated the height of the tree by comparing it to the height of the building it stands next to.
• We collected several leaves and stored them in baggies and noted damage to the tree.
• Using a measuring scoop, we dug up a few inches of soil next to tree roots and collected soil, 4 mL into the collection vial, and a 2 scoops into the bag with the leaves. The samples were brought back to the lab and stored in a refrigerator.

Observations, data, results

Included below are the measurements of the tree, as well as physical images of the tree we collected soil from. This tree appears to be much older than other trees we passed on campus. Additionally, the ground surrounding the roots of the tree was grassy and didn’t have mulch around it, as the last tree we collected from did. Rather, it was more clay-like and I am worried that will pose an issue when we clean the soil to enrich it and isolate a phage. If enough broth cannot be filtered through the dirt, it will be very difficult to test for the presence of a phage because of the limited sample size.

These images of the tree we collected soil from show the damage on the trunk. The leaves are somwhat dead, the trunk has damage, and some branches are broken. This isn’t necessarily a variable we are testing, but it is something to take note of as we proceed through our research.

interpretation, conclusion, next steps

The next step is to wash the soil as we did in day 1; the purpose of that is to isolate any phage into a lysate that can be manipulated to test for the presence of phage. However, this washing process will be slightly altered from the initial attempt as to hopefully be more successful and efficient.

Because all three members of my group collected from the same tree, we have more solid “proof” in our discoveries because the results should be, in a sense, triple checked. This, however, means that our sample pool is slightly smaller than other groups may be because we only tested one tree while others could’ve tested 3 trees.

Finally, the damage or “health” will be minimally considered in the research surrounding our phages. While it is interesting, the focus of our question is on species of tree and not health of the tree. It is certainly something to think about, but it isn’t receiving our attention for the time being.