Week 8: Getting Data

This week I continued to measure the stability and reactivity of the manganese pyrophosphate, citrate, DFOb, and malate solutions I made last week. I also started a new experiment to study the interaction of manganese oxides (MnO_x) with sodium ligands. This involved making up solutions of sodium oxalate, pyruvate, formate, citrate, pyrophosphate, and acetate, and then adding manganese oxides. Fine suspensions of manganese oxide minerals in solution look a lot like muddy water, but the oxides can be easily removed by filtration. After allowing the solutions to shake overnight I filtered a few milliliters of each and measured the reactivity of the clear filtrate with LBB by monitoring the absorbance at 620 nm using a plate reader. Over the course of the past few days it appears that the pyruvate and citrate ligands have reacted with the manganese oxides to form manganese (III) pyruvate and citrate, which react with LBB and pass through the filter, but the other solutions are still not reacting with LBB. It is important to remove all the manganese oxides from the solution before measuring it because LBB reacts with Mn(III) and MnO_x. I also tried using pyruvic acid and formic acid to make manganese ligands, but the methods I tried did not work. Next week I hope to try some other ways of making manganese pyruvate and formate. On Tuesday, I got to go with the other CMOP summer interns to visit the OHSU Primate Center, which was an interesting and educational experience. We learned about the process of biomedical research from funding an idea all the way to a prescription drug and then toured the primate area of the facility.