Starting a New Project Research (First Post) September 5, 2009
Posted by RhyanVillanueva in Uncategorized.trackback
Welcome to my blog!!!
As an introduction, I will be working in the Biochemical and Microbial Technology Laboratory in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. My research mentor is Dr. Patricia Ortiz, a Chemical Engineer with innovative research projects involving different areas that I am very interested like: glycol-nanotechnology, bio-sensors, biotechnology & microbiology, among others. I love these research areas because they have made a huge impact on today’s human health & quality of life. Why I choose this area? Well, because I want to be part of a team that is working to make and improve useful and beneficial applications for all of us.
In the past weeks, I was able to meet with my mentor discussing about my past research experiences, classes taken and possible areas of research. Basically, in our lab there are different main groups of students that are making research on: biosensors, nanotechnology, improving antibiotics & degradation of biomass using biotechnology. My mentor and I agree that the group that I fit more due to my classes taken & the past research experiences is the biomass group. In this group, we will be working with several microorganisms to identify methods that will degrade efficiently different complex compounds like: lignocelluloses and caffeine. The group has a big interest working with the coffee plant, which their residues are big problems for today’s global agriculture.
The main objectives for this semester are to: perform a literature review on caffeine detoxification of coffee pulp and its biotransformation; to establish and standardize a solid-state fermentation of filamentous fungi on coffee pulp; and to carry out a Chemical Analysis of the solid with the fungus to study the removal of lignocellulose and caffeine, in addition to proteins, sugars, etc. Also there are other objectives: to maintain a good communication between all the peers, to work in an organized manner, to be secure at all times, to stay informed about new research and techniques, among others. Also, I meet with the entire research group. I was able to know each student and to talk about their research. The truth is that I feel very privileged to be a new member of an impressive group and program in my sophomore year. All of them are very focused on their goals. I haven’t had any laboratory experience, yet. But I will publish my experience on the next post. I will keep my blog updated monthly to present the progress of this research. Here is a link of a similar research: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1992/culle92a.pdf.
If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to contact me through my blog or e-mail: rhyanv@gmail.com
There is more information in the “About Me” Page.
Felicitaciones por complementar tu preparacion academica con aspectos de biociencias. Cada vez mas el mercado laboral y los proyectos de investigacion requieren conocimientos interdisicplinarios. Mucho exito!
Muchas gracias, Dra. Rosa Buxeda!!!
Estoy de acuerdo con usted. Queria informarle que estoy sumamente agradecido de la oportunidad que ustedes me han dado, de poder formar parte del grupo Bio-Minds! Me encanta!
Hello Rhyan!! Your investigation proyect seems to me very intesting due to the importance coffee has in Puerto Rico. Being my major Microbiology, it is a proyect that I would like to know the results. Good luck in everything!!
Hi Rhyan, I have encounter the problem of lab personnel availability in the past. It is sometime difficult to solve it. But eventually you’ll solve or try to work under other circumstance. Great work you will accomplish.
Good Day,
CPl