How to (accidentally) blow up a plant.
I learnt how to do some new lab things today:
(1) how to plant seedlings (my first venture into the greenhouse!)
(2) how to grind seedlings up with liquid nitrogen for later protein extractions
(3) a new, and spectacular, way to accidentally blow things up.
Sadly... for them... all the other people in the lab were off having cake while I finished off the seedling grinding process, so there were no witnesses. I was sure something would go wrong as soon as they left. They were joking about explosions when time had passed and I still hadn't joined them for cake. They were, however, completely unprepared for the possibility that they were right. There was much hilarity when they found out. Also much giving of tips on how best to use this new knowledge of mine to play pranks on people. I really like the lab community here :)
Anyway, how did I blow up freshly ground plant? Well, it was quite simple. I was using liquid nitrogen to keep the plant material frozen enough for grinding up (with mortar and pestle), and there was still some left when I put the now paste-like plant in the tube and closed the lid... A minute later: HUGE BANG! and the world went green, and a little wet.
Once I'd taken off my glasses with their lovely coating of splattered green stuff, I realised the wetness was more plant paste all over my face, hands.. lab coat... bench.. I didn't look at the floor.
I still (hours later) have specks of green on my glasses. However, my face is no longer green.
This seems to have cemented my reputation there.
(1) how to plant seedlings (my first venture into the greenhouse!)
(2) how to grind seedlings up with liquid nitrogen for later protein extractions
(3) a new, and spectacular, way to accidentally blow things up.
Sadly... for them... all the other people in the lab were off having cake while I finished off the seedling grinding process, so there were no witnesses. I was sure something would go wrong as soon as they left. They were joking about explosions when time had passed and I still hadn't joined them for cake. They were, however, completely unprepared for the possibility that they were right. There was much hilarity when they found out. Also much giving of tips on how best to use this new knowledge of mine to play pranks on people. I really like the lab community here :)
Anyway, how did I blow up freshly ground plant? Well, it was quite simple. I was using liquid nitrogen to keep the plant material frozen enough for grinding up (with mortar and pestle), and there was still some left when I put the now paste-like plant in the tube and closed the lid... A minute later: HUGE BANG! and the world went green, and a little wet.
Once I'd taken off my glasses with their lovely coating of splattered green stuff, I realised the wetness was more plant paste all over my face, hands.. lab coat... bench.. I didn't look at the floor.
I still (hours later) have specks of green on my glasses. However, my face is no longer green.
This seems to have cemented my reputation there.