Maybe we shouldn’t leave her alone with the liquid nitrogen July 8, 2007

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I do hereby declare: I have frozen stuff in liquid nitrogen for the sake of scientific curiosity.

On Friday, they left me alone in the lab doing sample prep for DNA extraction, and I have never been able to just buckle down and work in the presence of liquid nitrogen. It’s too compelling. I had to splash it from hand and hand and throw some on the floor to see the dust bunnies spin, then I froze some random stuff.

Samples that could conceivably be relevant:

branches and central leader segments from Acer sango-kaku
leaves from same
soil sample
Osmocote
water
the mortal and pestle

Samples that could not:

the cap of a highlighter
a latex glove
the corner of my fingernail
several hairs from my head (awesome by the way)

I spent a moment regretting that I am without warts. It was the best time I’ve had in weeks.

I remember in high school they wouldn’t let us near the liquid nitrogen, but they broke a thermometer in chemistry class and let us pass the mercury around. Excellent.

I have cloned something: new plants in vitro from cultures of somatic cells.

I have eaten what I study and I’ll do it again: plants!

In my research I have to wash my hands before I use the bathroom. Your personal bits are vulnerable you know.

I have used the safety shower in my lab. And more than once.

I work with acids.

Arts and Crafts: you can make some cool stuff with epitubes and Parafilm.

I blog about science.