Hello! Whether you are reading this because you know me, are interested in bacteria, or just happened to stumble upon this blog in the vast abyss of the Internet, welcome to my blog! I hope the things I post here for the next 12 or so weeks are remotely interesting. My name is Mackenzie Harrison, and I am a senior at BASIS Flagstaff. I am investigating the antibacterial effects of dilute exposures to common dishwashing detergents on biofilms of bacterial species associated with human gut flora. In laymen speak, I am looking at the effects of dishwashing products on bacteria that live in our guts, particularly E.coli, S.aureus, and Lactobacillus. I will be working at the new Science and Health Building on NAU campus with Biochemistry professor Dr. Andrew Koppisch and some of his students. So how dangerous is that Dawn detergent or powdery stuff you put in your dishwasher? Hopefully, in the next 12 weeks, I will find out.
I do not yet have a link to my project proposal, as it has not been published. However, if I find a way to post documents on this blog, I will surely share it with you.
Below is a link to my internship site if you want to learn more about where I will be working. http://nau.edu/cefns/natsci/chem-biochem/
I hope to update you every week on what's going on with the project and the lab, and I'll post again soon!
Mackenzie
Looking forward to reading all about it!
ReplyDeleteYour project sounds very intriguing and unique! Will you talk about how detergents may effect us now, i.e. their current impact on health? I'm excited to see where your research will go! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, I will talk about the effects of certain detergents on us and our health, particularly the immune system (if it is applicable!)
ReplyDeleteGreat introduction. I hope that I can find a way to be more excited on my blog... Are there specific brands of soap that you are using? For example, if Palmolive is the best-selling brand in the USA, are you going to research it for a more significant result as it will be less abstract and more relatable?
ReplyDeleteThanks dude! I am using regular Dawn liquid dish soap and Cascade powder detergent. They are both commonly used and contain two key ingredients, respectively, SDS and NaCO3.The results that come out of this project could shed light on relatable dishwashing liquids with the same ingredients.
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