Transcript Research Project - Cornell University

Research Project
 Your
chance to discover something new
 Develop your own research protocol
 Integrate:
 problem
solving skills
 laboratory skills
 knowledge about how the natural world works
 information from others who have studied
related systems
Ideas
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Characterize composting
extent of biodegradation as function of moisture content
 extent of biodegradation as function of temperature
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Remediate VOC contaminated site
vapor phase extraction
 capture VOC on activated carbon
 measure VOC in gas stream coming from soil using
Gas Chromatograph
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Characterize endogenous decay of bacteria used in
the DO sag experiment as a function of time
More Ideas
 Enhance
particle removal by slow sand
filtration using various “ripening agents”
 Measure methane production from
anaerobic digestion of garbage as a function
of moisture content, inoculum volume, type
of garbage, or …
And More Ideas
Evaluate phosphorus removal through various
porous media
 Determine the cause of and eliminate the long tail
for the Flow with Dispersion reactor
 Evaluate extent of aeration required to bring our
“lake” into CO2 equilibrium with the atmosphere
 Build a semi-automated phosphorus analyzer
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Constraints
Safety!
 Can it be done in two weeks?
 Do we have the instruments
for the measurements?
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detection limits
 sampling requirements-how
fast does the system change?
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Is the experimental
apparatus feasible?
What preparation is
required?
bacteria cultures
assembly of apparatus
reagents
Waste generation
What has been done before?
 Student
research results from previous years
 Consult researchers on campus
 WWW
 Literature search
 books
in the library
 BIOSIS Previews via Cornell Library Web site
http://campusgw.library.cornell.edu/
Research Proposal
(March 28)
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In 2 pages describe your research project including the
following:
State question or hypothesis
Describe experiment and how it will test the hypothesis
Describe method of data acquisition
State expectations based on previous research or what you
know about the system
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Plot graphs of potential results
Describe how you would interpret the results
Describe necessary data analysis
Cite at least 3 references
Materials and Methods (April 16)
Develop step by step procedures based on
mentally working through the experiment.
 Describe apparatus setup
 List quantities and source of reagents and supplies
 Detail startup procedure
 Describe how you will know when the experiment
is over
 Describe sampling and analysis procedures
 Detail shutdown and waste disposal procedures
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