The First Distillation Encounter

Just last week, I finally had the urge to visit my adviser's lab. I was also happy that I have finally met one of my adviser's research assistants who would guide me throughout my research. She gave me a rough outline of how the experiment would go. And boy, what a long tedious procedure that was! I am not complaining though. I've seen it coming actually. My seniors have already given me the right amount of fright I need to get myself working in my thesis. The first task I had to do is distillation. For the next few weeks, I'll be busy distilling methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane. While I'm at it, I'll be collecting my samples (which would be easy since they told me I just needed a "little" help from the people in Biology. *wink*) and drying them. 

The rotary evaporator looks intimidating at first (well, at least for me). But turns out, all I need to do is to push buttons here and there to get me started. Of course, I'd have to keep track of the right temperature, pressure, etc. At first I was fascinated by how the machined works. See, that was my first time to handle a rotary evaporator. In our lab, we call it "rota vap". My task got boring eventually. I had nothing much to do during my first three-hour stay in the lab. But I'm glad I've filled a third of a large methanol bottle. To be honest though, that wasn't a very big accomplishment. I mean, I still have several bottles to fill and the average distillation rate I could do in the lab is 300-400mL every 20-25 minutes. But I'd still like to give my self a pat on the back for having the will to start my experiment. *Yay!* 

The Odd Sample Collection

There was a certain amount of motivation that purged through my head this morning. A certain motivation towards actually doing my thesis. I decided to be academically productive today so after a few rounds of decision-making, I finally got myself out of my dorm to: First, take a sample of my plant specimen and second, to obtain a voucher specimen from the only herbarium of our college. The funny thing was, I was so certain on planning to get a voucher specimen but I don't have the sample itself. Well, I actually got one last month. My mother sent me some samples. But a month has passed and my samples have become as crisp and brown as an overly fried potato chip. Before I went to the herbarium, I decided to buy a brown envelope before I went to the herbarium. What for? You'll know later on.

Goosegrass is very common in our country. One can actually find it almost everywhere. Despite that, I'm having trouble getting a sample because well, I acted on impulse when I finally decided to get a voucher specimen and I thought that since goosegrass is everywhere, it's probably just fine to go and pluck one out from the ground. And I was dead wrong. I did not think that the possible people who would see me doing the process of getting the weed out might find me odd or well, crazy. I don't know why I thought like that. Just... never mind. So while I was on my way to the herbarium, I tried to look for spots around the campus that had goosegrass on it but with less people so I could easily do the first "job" I have set for myself for the day. Then I came past the main library. Except for the lone guy who was sweeping the library grounds several meters away from me, I was pretty alone at that area. I quickly fixed my eyes on a certain goosegrass with just the right amount of maturity I thought I need. I pulled it out with both hands. For a few seconds, I was struggling but thankfully, I was able to pull it out successfully. Boy, that was one tough weed to pull out. And here, ladies and gentlemen comes the role of the envelope I bought. When I got back to my feet, I shook the weed to get rid of some soil that was still tugging at the weed's roots and then I immediately slip the weed inside the envelope. There it goes. Yeah, the envelope's job was nothing fancy but I think it helped me conceal the "job" I just did. Hey, it wasn't really that odd, was it? I mean, I did the university a little and I mean a very little favor: I pulled one weed out from its campus grounds. And I just really need the weed for my voucher specimen.

Finding the institute building's entrance was just as challenging as acquiring my goosegrass sample. The entrance was locked so I thought of going around the pavilion to look for another entrance. One guard stopped me from going farther and told me to go back to the institute's entrance and look for a mango tree. That's where I'll find the "real" entrance. I thought: "What kind of trick are they trying to pull anyway?" They could have made a sign that would tell visitors that the entrance of the building can be found near a mango tree. tsk. Well, anyway... The guard at the real entrance was accommodating and she did gave me concise instructions on how I'd find the herbarium. To be honest, the building was a bit creepy although I should know better. The old building of our institute was just as creepy. I finally found the herbarium and...it was a mess. I could tell that the people in that institute were prepping themselves in transferring their stuff to their new building or was that area of the institute just messy? It didn't take really long actually. And it turns out, I could claim my voucher specimen next week because the one in charge wasn't around. I'd love to stay and look around. But I don't think the man I spoke to would agree. I would have wanted to ask him about that little skull I found on the messy table or the name of the oddly-shaped fruits I found in the room. He said I could come back next Wednesday so maybe I could ask him about it. With that thought in my head, I went out of the herbarium feeling partially productive.

Why hello there, goosegrass. :)

My mother being a Chemistry teacher asked me one day during my summer break about my plans on my thesis topic. To be honest, I haven't come up with anything at all. I mean, I just got back from my on-the-job training in the lovely terrains of Leyte at that time and seriously, the idea of coming up of a thesis topic was not part of my summer itinerary. Although that should have been my primary concern at the time since my first semester of my (hopefully) last academic year in the university is just a few weeks away. And ideally, my senior year as a science major should be devoted to the creation of my thesis. So there, I told her NO. Without hesitations. She's my mother and even if I attempt to give her an un-unravelable (word borrowed from Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper of The Big Bang Theory) lie, she's experienced enough to untangle the knots of lies I tied for her. Well, lucky for me she had something in mind or rather her aunt had something in mind. Her aunt, who currently resides in the United States called her and honestly I didn't know what they were talking about and how they'd end up discussing a certain weed used as febrifuge in our country. So my mother said, "Why don't you try and look for the scientific name of this weed? It'll do you good one day." And I did. But I found nothing. I mean, my resources are scarce and frankly, I don't even know how this weed looks like. My motivation to do some research on the weed vanished as soon as I got calls from friends who wanted to meet up. I was away from home for several months and it was summer break. The thought of still not having been able to come up with a thesis topic was far from daunting. So I spent the remaining days of my summer completely ignoring my responsibility as an incoming senior science major. 

I returned to the university without any progress on my thesis topic. I became preoccupied with the hype of starting a new semester. Just before the end of June, my mother sent me a text telling me that the English name of the weed is goosegrass. I thought: Well, I could start from here. I did my part of the research. I learned that its scientific name is Eleusine indica L. Gaerth. This grass (or weed) is from the Poaceae family. Based on the number of published journals I found on this weed, I'd say, this weed wasn't that "ignored" after all. Its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity has already been studied. Due to the wide variety of uses of this weed, several ethnomedical and ethnopharmalogical studies had been made about it. The list isn't that long yet but the results of the studies are promising. It has been studied for antiplasmoidal activity, anti-inflammatory activity and even anti-carcinogenic activity. I emailed my adviser immediately after scanning a few journals. We met a few days after she replied to my email. We discussed a bit on the possible things I could do with this weed but yeah, like any other thesis student, I was told to read more about the weed. At that time, I still have no clue as to what bioactivity of the plant I'd like to focus my research on. But I knew that I wanted goosegrass to be the subject of my research.

Come Chem 196. The essential push I need to get my ass working on my thesis. To be honest, I squandered the first two months of my first semester on some things that didn't matter. I feel a bit regretful for not going full-time on my research for the last two months. I mean, two months?! Come on, that's a significant amount of time given that I'm only have a year to finish my research. See, my professor in Chem 196 "ordered" us to submit our thesis titles last August 6. Well, I did submit my title on that day but I wasn't able to beat the 12:00 nn deadline he gave. So yeah, I have no idea what will happen to me now. haha! I spent an afternoon coming up with a decent informal proposal to my thesis adviser. I researched more on the medicinal uses of goosegrass. I found something I thought was doable in my adviser's lab so I emailed my adviser before the set deadline. Imagine the happiness that flooded in me when I got her reply which was a big YES!

So there... I am all set to do my research for my final year in the university (hopefully). I'm currently wearing my game face on for my thesis. I now have with me some journals I'll be reading for the next few days. I'm also trying to readjust my schedule to make more time for my thesis. Basically, I'm doing some prep work here. Because you see, being prepared and motivated to do your thesis is just as important as to actually doing and finishing it.

Behold! The Indian Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) Photo taken from   http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/images/ipm1007goosegrass03.jpg

P.S: I thank the universe for conspiring the events that took place at the day my mother and her aunt discussed about goosegrass. Why hello there goosegrass. :) I'll be working with you for the next several months. I'm a bit nervous about my research on you but there's no turning back now.