Presentation Materials

Hello Everyone following the blogosphere!
Here is an interesting link that pertains to the research I am doing and will act as a great introduction for my presentation today to get everyone caught up to speed on my area of research.

http://rhizosphere.helmholtz-muenchen.de/

On a side note, I would like to thank Bashkar M. V. for taking interest in my research and work and recommending that I look into a new bioremediation technology that he has a company working to develop and produce commercially out of India, Nualgi - Diatom Algae for Bio-remediation and biodiesel.
Thank you Bashkar M. V. for your interest in the science and the great record of information that your blog documents. I look forward to corresponding more with you in the future.

And this other site is one that I will use later in the presentation today to contextualize my work in an interdisciplinary framework. No need to look over this one yet because I will be higlighting it during the presentation.
http://esd.lbl.gov/research/projects/ersp/

Ok. Look forward to seeing everyone today for the presentation.
See you all shortly!

A Weekend of Networking

This is pretty cool. I've arranged a meeting with one of the seminar presenters this semester to talk about nutrient cycling. I'm going to try to gear it toward remediation and toxin transport in different kinds of life forms. As of the moment, I am still thinking about water filtering, although if I learn something new, I may focus in on a specific metabolic reaction or absorption channel/coping mechanism for a specific toxin. We'll see what comes of it. Stay tuned!

Newland Wetlands

One Month ago some students from Appalachian State University's environmental toxicology class and I visited the artificial wetland of Newland to run some tests on the water, plant life, and microbial life. We were led by Wendy Patoprsty, who is a local pioneer in organizing and launching artificial wetland projects for communities in Watauga and surrounding counties, to the wetland, which is located down elevation from the town's curbside drainage system inbetween where all the runoff flows and where the river recharge zone is. The environmental toxicology class is running test on the water and plant samples collected to determine what sort of contaminants are affecting the wetland ecosystem, and I am isolating and identifying the rhizobial bacteria collected from the site. There are some photos attached by a link over to the side of the blog for you to peruse at your convenience, and I hope to determine what Genera of bacteria are present in this wetland soon.
Thanks, enjoy, and don't be afraid to get muddy!

My Background

I am an interdisciplinary student working from a perspective that merges business, science, and technology within a framework of planning. The concentration is Global Business Planning and the emphasis is on innovative design in regional development.
This accumulation of knowledge is a problem solving tool kit for issues affecting large groups of people on a local, regional, or global scale. The business side of the studies serves to paint a picture of the world’s financial and political environment. Comprehensions of geo-political landscapes reveal the unrealized potentials or inherent hindrances related to the industries, political entities, and natural environment at each given setting around the globe. The coupled working knowledge of how the different financial actors interact with their local industries and how these industries are dependent upon the locality’s natural resources puts me at an advantageous perspective to mediate between the community’s, business leaders’, and environmentally driven interests.
I hope to apply this investigation toward a continued understanding of resource transformation technologies with the eventual aim of benefiting supply chain management processes. By transforming compounds at each intermediary stage in the chain, companies can yield more input products for each proceeding tier while maintaining ecological integrity throughout the entire production process from start to finish. The benefits to companies will be reflected in profits and the benefits to human health and ecological integrity over time are insurmountable.
It is for the benefit of all these parties that I am conducting these bioremediation investigations for my thesis project.

RESeEARCH Session

I met with the one of the chief's in the administrative ranks of the library to go over how best to prepare myself for writing a thesis that is oriented around scientific data and inquiries into the current progress of applied bioremediation techniques. Luckily for me, this library big wig was a biology major and had a significant background in chemistry coupled with an interest in the preservation of ecological integrity. We were like two peas in the same pod.
I forwarded the librarian many of the Genuses and species of plants and microorganisms that were of most crucial interest to me ahead of my appointment time in order for us to hit the ground running when we met face to face.
The meeting was incredibly beneficial. We broke down which databases are most relevant to this type of research, how the databases use Boolean Logic and ways to best find articles that deal with a certain main topic, a certain type of remediating organism, and a certain type pollutant (even if the specific terms' suffixes might ellude you at the time). It was incredibly helpful as well in the sense that he and I started punching through so many of these articles that we were developing a good idea of which scientists are actively working on projects and which publishers are supporting this kind of research.
Equipped with a large knowledge base, I am now more comprehensively researching what everyone is doing in this field. Unfortunately, there are still many things being done currently that have not yet made there way to the libraries. It seems that most of the information present is from 2006, right when I began my own work.

HELLO classmates, peers, and environmental science geeks everywhere!

This is the communication forum in which I will be posting information and updates related to my thesis research to keep the class abreast of how things are progressing but also for any interested passers by to see what I have been working on and to add any information or insightful commentary or critique that they would like. Among the first things I would like to get posted here are my disciplinary backgrounds, some of my inspirations in the field, and a brief overview of what my project this semester will entail.
Stay tuned for more information and updates as the work progresses. I will see you soon.