Experiment Revisions

I am restarting the Experiment "Mycoremediation via proliferation of native terrestrial fungi."

During the Spring and Summer of 2022, I attempted isolating fungal cultures from infertile soil. I was indeed successful in isolating various genera of fungi from the soil. Based on microscopic and macroscopic analyses, I obtained at least four different genera of fungi from the soil. These results granted confidence in my ability to isolate fungi from the plot of soil. However, I ran into a number of issues as the experiment progressed. The issues and their revisions are as follows:

• Two of the twenty un-inoculated Petri dishes (which were supposed to act as a "Control") displayed macroscopic evidence of fungal growth. This automatically invalidates any following results, because this indicates that some fungal growth may not have originated from the original plot of soil.

  • REVISION: If any Control Petri dishes display any signs of microbial growth, all cultures must be scrapped immediately, and the experiment must restart. I had attempted to run the experiment despite microbial growth on two Control Petri dishes, therefore causing unsureness regarding authenticity of native fungi isolations. Additionally, I will use much stricter protocols in my sterile techniques, in order to avoid any further medium-based or air-based contamination.

• Some cultures were not stored correctly. The room in which Petri dishes were stored reached temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit on some days. This temperature is absolutely inadequate for maintaining the health of a fungal culture over a long period of time. The cultures eventually became infested with other molds and it was impossible to determine the original isolated species.

  • REVISION: A mini refrigerator will be stored in the lab, and the room's temperature will be maintained with an air-conditioner. This way, the cultures can colonize the substrates at a steady pace, without comprising their health and longevity.

• Some cultures were not labelled immediately, leading to confusion. I originally had attempted to keep-track of which cultures comes from which holes in the plot of soil. After working with dozens of cultures, I became disorganized and began forgetting to label certain cultures. Eventually, I did not know which cultures came from which holes.

  • REVISION: I will be extremely diligent about labelling every culture with its correct indication when working with each culture. Cultures will be grouped and organized in containers within the lab, based on Hole Number and Supposed Genus. This organization will allow easier tracking of genera and species across various growing mediums.

All-in-all, I am not disappointed with this major delay in the experiment. In fact, I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to revise errors that would have invalidated the results. Being able to push-off the deadline ensures the authenticity of this experiment, thus improving the potential of publishing my experiment for peer-review. Additionally, I have not wasted any of the funding from my mistakes. For example, the initial fertility analyses of the soil will still be used as the initial data points (the soil's composition has not been, and will not be, altered in any way over this entire year). And, the other materials--such as the pressure cooker and grow bags--can still be utilized for the experiment retrial. Therefore, I'm actually very happy with the way this experiment has progressed. I feel a lot more confident moving forward in a professional manner. Though I may not have results until early Summer of 2023, it will be worth the wait. For, this experiment may very well prove the efficacy of a very simple mycoremediation method. A method that any person with basic microbiology skills could utilize, in order to re-fertilize their soils in an extremely cost-effective manner.

Very excited for the future! Stay tuned!