Last Friday I did my presentation, and everything went well. I actually did better than I thought I would, and got full points on my presentation. To be honest, I didn't like my presentation that much, but everybody else seemed to like it. I had some problems at the beginning, because I couldn't add some pictures, because they weren't compatible with  power point. However, Josh was able to convert the picture, and everything work out. In addition, I am very excited for next semester, and hopefully I can continue being a S-STEM Scholar, but right now I just want to focus on studying for my finals!! I have picture of my bacteria in the bottom (Figure 1), but the quality is not that great. 

Figure 1 

Figure 1: Positive MSA test

Before thanksgiving break, I left my MSA plate in the incubator, and today I got to see the results. The test was positive for acid (Figure 1), and I now know that my unknown is Staphylococcus aureus.  I have already confirm it with josh. However, to my distress, I have my research paper due this week, and I haven’t started. I didn’t even know how to do the paper, but fortunately a fellow STEM-Scholar gave me some advice!! I am going to start on it today, but I am very optimistic that I will finish in time!!  I am very satisfied with my performance so far, and hope to improve next semester.

Figure 1

I have had some major drawbacks along in my project. First of all, I didn't get the right results for my gram staining the first three times I did it. Josh eventually told me himself that I had gotten cocci (which I already knew) gram positive, because I needed to move on in my project. However, I told him that later on I would perform the gram staining once again in order to get the results on my own. In addition, the next step was to perform a Catalase test, and this came out positive. Afterwards, I performed a Glucose fermentation test (Figure 1), and once again this came out to be positive. After that, I had to do a MSA test, and I am going to check the results on Monday.  I also did the gram stain a fourth time, and finally I got the right results on my own!!! I am very happy, and can't wait to see the results for my MSA test on Monday.

Figure 2

Figure 1

The first week as an intern is almost over, and I feel excited about the rest of the semester. This week I started my project in identifying my unknown bacteria, but I have had some drawback along the way. First of all, I am not very familiar with bacteria, but there is always Josh who has helped me a lot this week. In addition, there are also a lot of friendly experienced S-STEM scholars willing to help.  I have made some progress in identifying my unknown, but it is not as much as I wish I had done.  My results so far have been growing a bacterial lawn (Figure 1), and isolating a bacteria colony successfully (Figure 2).  However, I didn’t have as much bacterium growth on the lawn plate as I should have had. In addition, I have correctly concluded that my unknown was cocci, but made some mistakes on my gram staining and couldn’t find out if it was gram positive or gram negative. Tomorrow I will be performing it once again, and hopefully this time I can succeed!!!

This is just the beggining....

  

I applied to the S-STEM Program not really knowing what to expect. I knew that it was a great opportunity, but other than that I hardly knew anything about it. However, I was fortunate enough to be admitted to the program, and last week I had my orientation. I am excited about the opportunity of being part of it, but at the same time I am nervous. First of all, I don't really know what I am going to be doing for my internship. I also am having a hard time creating my blog, because I have never in my life done a blog! I know I will eventually become a expert in blogging, but for know I am a little stress out about it.  I know that right now I am the newbie, and that it would take some time to be completely part of the S-STEM Program.  I plan on working as hard as possible to achieve this. I am also very happy, because everyone in the S-STEM Program seems very nice and willing to help me succeed. In addition, I also feel kind of intimidated, because the other S-STEM Scholars seem like brilliant young scientists. However, I am also able to succeed as a S-STEM Scholar, and I have high expectations for myself !!

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