An initial experiment for membrane deflection characterization using an optical profiler (Veeco Wyco) has been performed. Below are some of the images taken with the tool: (a image was taken at each 0.5 psi interval): Once we get a pressure…

Jamie and I met with Don Black with an electron microscopist that consults for NaturalNano. In efforts to test out our TEM window grids, he gave us halloysite nanotubes. These are naturally occuring and much larger than the carbon nanotubes…

This is a retrial of the previously outline negative adsorption assay.  I was a little more careful with cuvettes this time around (there are very significant differences in the plastic cuvettes) and I spread out the same amount of solution…

This week, I did a quick discoloration experiment based on Chris’s comment at lab meeting.  He wondered if soaking the chips in water for a while would allow potential discoloration-causing contaminants to slowly leech out.  I took 2 chips from…

Here’s some data from my electrophoretic trials with polymer membranes. On this chart, both PES and Cellulose fall on the same line.  In my last post I said that PES membranes didn’t seem to pass water, although I found that…

In my last discoloration experiment, I tested buffers with different pKa’s (MES, HEPES, and Tris). I found that only 10 mM HEPES in HBSS caused discoloration, and furthermore, that the HBSS component of this solution was the culprit (post). Fortunately,…

If protein is adsorbing to a surface, it’s leaving the solution.  We can indirectly measure how much protein is leaving the solution, and that may tell us something about how much these surfaces are adsorobing. For my first attempt, I…

To further investigate the mechanism of discoloration, I prepared buffers at different pH’s and measured discoloration and pH over time. Buffers were: 0.1M MES, pH=pKa=6.1; 0.1M Tris-Base, pH=pKa=8.39; 0.1M Tris-HCl, pH=pKa=8.35; 10mM HEPES in 1X HBSS, pH 7.38, where HEPES…