Team Toxipop started off the summer focusing on Resistance measurements rather than Conductance. Much of our summer work was devoted to the construction of an electrical circuit unique to our purpose. Many additions were made to the apparatus each week. Below, you will find information about the different "versions" of the apparatus including final information about our switch to Conductivity.
Our First Apparatus
We started off the summer with the goal of constructing a measuring apparatus that would offer provide consistent and reliable resistance readings. We made sure to keep the electrodes stationary and at a fixed distant in each different sample of bacteria. Our very first apparatus was made with Legos and poster board. At this point we only had a standard voltmeter that could detect large resistance changes between different salt solutions. The changes we expected to see, however, were on a much smaller scale.
Our First Apparatus
Revisions to the First Apparatus
Team Toxipop calculated the amount of E. coli cells expected and the corresponding ion content released into solution after lysis.