Using High Altitude Balloons to Study the Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Bacteria

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

Ellensburg

Event Website

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source

Start Date

15-5-2019

End Date

15-5-2019

Abstract

UV light has a mutagenic effect on bacteria and can even kill bacteria. The ozone layer blocks out all but 1-3% of the UV light in the upper atmosphere. This project is testing the effects of UV light in the upper atmosphere on a strain of E. coli bacteria altered with the pGLO plasmid, causing the bacteria to glow green under a UV light. The E. coli bacteria being used are more resilient to UV light and the colder temperatures experienced at altitude. Samples will have various levels of UV filtering to determine the limit of survivability among colonies. In an earlier experiment, samples of E. coli were sent up into the atmosphere to see what effect the UV light had on the samples. The first samples came back without any growth due to an issue with the preparation of the samples. Weather was another obstacle that cut the flight short, causing the balloon to not reach the upper portions of the ozone layer. In preparation for a future flight the bacteria has been tested for viability and preparation methods have been modified, improvements to the instrumentation package have also been made. After the bacteria from the second flight is incubated, there should be colonies of bacteria that been killed off, but other colonies should have mutated. However, if there is no effect on the bacteria, there will be no bacteria showing mutations.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Darci Snowden

Department/Program

Physics

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May 15th, 1:00 PM May 15th, 2:00 PM

Using High Altitude Balloons to Study the Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Bacteria

Ellensburg

UV light has a mutagenic effect on bacteria and can even kill bacteria. The ozone layer blocks out all but 1-3% of the UV light in the upper atmosphere. This project is testing the effects of UV light in the upper atmosphere on a strain of E. coli bacteria altered with the pGLO plasmid, causing the bacteria to glow green under a UV light. The E. coli bacteria being used are more resilient to UV light and the colder temperatures experienced at altitude. Samples will have various levels of UV filtering to determine the limit of survivability among colonies. In an earlier experiment, samples of E. coli were sent up into the atmosphere to see what effect the UV light had on the samples. The first samples came back without any growth due to an issue with the preparation of the samples. Weather was another obstacle that cut the flight short, causing the balloon to not reach the upper portions of the ozone layer. In preparation for a future flight the bacteria has been tested for viability and preparation methods have been modified, improvements to the instrumentation package have also been made. After the bacteria from the second flight is incubated, there should be colonies of bacteria that been killed off, but other colonies should have mutated. However, if there is no effect on the bacteria, there will be no bacteria showing mutations.

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2019/Oralpres/19