Nearly Time to Collect Data

As the first phase of my experiment is almost done, I have needed to think about the kind of data I need to collect. At the moment, I've been collecting ethanol and glucose tests for a little bit to identify the stage of the processes going on. In the future though, I will need to collect data on energy potential, which is a lot more complicated than what I've done thus far. To identify energy potential, I will need to combust my test samples under water and track the temperature rise with some kind of instrument. From the temperature rise, I can determine what the energy content of my test sample is. All in all, not that complicated when described in this fashion, but it requires me to perform mathematics endemic to thermodynamics. In other words, I have no experience with what I will be trying to test. As I am currently sick with a head cold, I will be posting this on Saturday instead of Sunday like I usually do.

Research Update

A beaker of water forms a hot water bath for my samples during enzymatic hydrolysis.

These last few weeks I have been preparing to perform my experiment and then actually going through with it.

Thus far, I have been highly successful in performing measurements to keep track of the sample's progress. The only negative aspect of these measurements is that I run through my digital glucose strips ridiculously fast.

While some times have been successful, I have not been lucky in the time aspect. The process of making Cellulosic Ethanol has taken days of constant activity to get to this point, but it will be worth the wait.

During this update, you will see the picture of the test samples in the top right, but why is that one sample so darkly colored? This question has boggled my mind. I have ruled out that it was a high glucose concentration, but I still don't know what causes it.

I will finish my first batch of ethanol by Tuesday at the quickest, but I still have a whole other batch to make using Phragmites reed.