MSTF JUNE 25

Today was not very interesting, but very fruitful. Emilee continues to help us to determine what medium will webbing dissolve or hydrolyze in. The results from yesterday show on a qualitative standpoint verses a quantitative standpoint that webbing will disappear in the acids (the base seems to have no affect on webbing). Estaban and I are starting to discuss lab procedures to qualitatively test solubility of webbing in common household products. We have a long way to go before we are done with the final product but we are at least having a specific direction. The details will come in the next three weeks. Scott is headed in a little different direction which is understandable because of teaching life science verses physical science. Tomorrow we are scheduled to sit in on a silk meeting with all the people involved on the research, which should be time well spend. On Friday we are learning to operate the NMRs (the basics only). I asked Tom several questions concerning the maintenance of the NMRs and refilling with liquid helium and nitrogen. The cold liquids keep the superconductor working on an acceptable level. I enjoy sitting at the conference table and discussing several topics concerning the silk research and the MSTF project, it is a good way to start the morning.