Hi Team, 

Thanks for uploading the powerpoint slides you presented to your class. I think your observation about the bubbles in the DI water treatment being bigger but fewer in quantity was really interesting. I think there's probably several ways you could explain this phenomena -- and I think that with some more experimenting, you could think of an experimental setup where you could quantify the volume of oxygen produced in this type of setup, which might help you answer your question. 

I'm glad you enjoyed the PlantingScience experiments -- good luck with the rest of the school year! 

--Kevin

Hi Team - 

Thanks for the updates! Very interesting result with your salt water vs. DI water experiment -- I'm interested to know what your hypothesis beforehand was? Did you expect there to be a different response between your salt water vs. DI water treatments? If so, what did you expect? 

Was there any difference in the rate at which the leaf discs began to float between the two treatments? 

How might you alter this experimental design to further test your idea that salt concentration in the water might affect photosynthesis? 

-Kevin 

Hi Team! 

I just wanted to check in and introduce myself -- I'm Kevin Dorn and I'll be your 'Scientist Liaison'. Like your mentor, Andrew, I'm also a plant biologist and am also available to answer any questions you have and help with any problems that might come up with your projects. 

A little about me - I grew up in a very small town in Minnesota and went to college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis/St. Paul. I was a high school teacher for a couple of years after college in St. Louis, Missouri, and then went back to school to get my PhD in plant biology after that. I finished that degree in 2015 (and am now a 'plant doctor' :-), and currently am a postdoctoral researcher for Kansas State University. My research focuses on understanding how plant genomes (it's DNA) controls important traits. You can learn a little more about my research here: http://wheatgenetics.org/people/91-kevin-dorn

In a normal week, I'm at my computer a lot - analyzing huge genomic datasets, writing papers, and reading new research articles. I also usually spend time tending to my plants for my research, and often am in the lab at least once a week doing experiments and getting samples ready for sequencing a plant's DNA. 

Please let me know if you have any questions - good luck and have fun starting your projects! 

-Kevin