Thursday, March 8, 2018

cryptantha crassipes under glass...






























Day long visit from a professor and 2 grad students from the University of Idaho here to study the Terlingua Creek Cat's Eye plants.  It was kind of like an episode of CSI Texas.  Dr. Mark Schwarzländer and Masters degree student Karuna Nepal and PhD student Jessica Fung were here to extract volatiles from the leaves and flowers of some select plants.  They did this by isolating plant parts with little bags and setting up pumps that would pull air through them to be collected in tiny chambers.  Each collection lasted 6 hours.  They have to FedEx the samples to their lab tomorrow to be deep frozen and run through a GC-MS instrument (gas chromatography - mass spectrometry) to reveal the organic compounds in the plants.  Chupa helped.  66,76,41,0,B


8 comments:

Hachita said...

That’s very cool! Great volatiles extractor. What’s a Terlingua Creek Cat's Eye?

In the upper left picture, I’m wondering if Chupa nailed him in the back of the leg while he was collecting data?

Margery Billd said...

Well now ain't that somethin. :-) Will you let us know what they find out? Ah, to be young, thin, smart, and agile. Reminds me of my daughter when she was young and smart and pretty and did field work. I saw an add on t.v. from San Antonio about various grocery home deliveries. But I do not have it out here in the country. Ah, the new innovations. But I do sometimes order from BOXED and they send all kinds of things. I do not know why I order from them when I can get in my car and drive 32 miles to Sams Club or Costco or HEB. I guess it is the novelty or boredom or shopping when I do not want to go anywhere. The prices are comparable which I like and they pack little surprises and cute pick-me-up pictures and I like to support young entrepreneurs. They are so helpful and optimistic.

Off Grid Research said...

Always interesting stuff John.
To familiarize mayself with cryptantha crassipes I googled it and the best images I found are from The Field Lab!

remmij said...

the lad does bring a spot of color wherever he goes, keepin' an eye on things

Franco said...

Now that I know what they look l' ll keep an eye out for them on my property, but I don't think I have any large open areas without vegetation that these seem to be drawn to.

Unknown said...

Very cool pic remmij ......

David Johnson said...

Very cool John.

Todd said...

God Bless You John!