Labyrinthula (Laby) Lab

My new lab space at the University of Sydney, Department of Biology

A very exciting day in the progress of our study here in Sydney.  We have the culture lab set up in the Department of Biology!  Linda was very helpful in showing me the lab space, lending me a key to access the lab, locating necessary materials and teaching me about the facilities and protocols, and demonstrating the safe use of the gas-powered Bunsen burner (I've always used EtOH in a glass jar like a kerosene lamp!).  The lab space is quiet and well equipped for microbiology studies and I am looking very much forward to diving into this work.  Osu will be setting up the agar petri dishes and I will be able to focus on simply collecting and culturing the Laby.    Hopefully Nathalie will be able to isolate some DNA for me so I can send it to my friend Dan in Alabama who is trying to work out the phylogeny of this elusive microbe.

Another really cool thing about the lab, just outside my window is a lovely Banyan tree! 

My spirit tree in Australia, a lovely Banyan

We will be quite pressed for time on this project, given all I want to accomplish, but I am keen on getting enough samples to make some analyses, so I plan to charge ahead, even if it means getting little sleep.  We have this small window to make some important discoveries and I am determined to do it all!

We will see how I feel next week I guess.  If we come across any seaweed while we are sampling, it may be interesting to try and culture from it, as there have been cases where it has been cultured, although I haven't had any success.

Well, that is about it for today.  It is very muggy and after a bid lunch, I just want a rest...  before we really ramp it up next week :)