Team Mars

Team Mars met Wednesday during lab time to discuss our findings on the research we were suppose to do. We decided that we would need a surface on our machine that would mimic fatty acid tails to attract fatty acids because we could not find another material to do so. We also decided we would need a protein activated by ATP to open our cannel just wide enough to let sodium ions through. Harrison found a really good material for our machine, a conductive polymer, and information on sensors for the polymer, that will really work well in our machine. Based on the research that was done, we completed our concept of our "machine." The team is now going to start on the PowerPoint/presentation part of the assignment. We decided since it is so early in the process we would split up the information needed in the presentation and begin to "draft" PowerPoints. We are then going to get together and modify/uniform all of the slides. Here is a list of topics each person was assigned to start working on:

Problem - Alejandra
Failed Approaches - Matt
Materials - Carlos
How it Works - Harrison
Controls/Protien Size - Jordan
Physiological Problems/Allergic Reaction - Nick
Natural Sodium Ion Pump - Courtney
Advantages/Disadvantages - Lauren

We do not have another meeting planned yet, because we decided we are very ahead. We were going to wait and see how everyone was doing with the information for the Power Points and if people needed help, talk over WebCT.

Here is the website about the conductive polymers:
http://cuhwww.upr.clu.edu/~npinto/papers/1ncur2001.PDF

Here is the website about the sensors:
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/new/highlights/200310/