Project Info
The Microbiology of Snow
John Spear
jspear@mines.edu
Project Goals and Description:
Snow falls from the sky all winter long and we generally think of it as beautiful frozen water. But at the heart of every snowflake is an ice-nucleating site. Sometimes that is dust, sometimes it is soot, often times it is a microbe. Snow, is alive. Snow also contains a host of other things like viruses, microplastics and chemical compounds, including the so-called forever chemicals of PFAS and PFOA. This on-going project seeks to better understand and characterize snows collected across winters from Golden, Colorado.
More Information:
Grand Challenge: Provide access to clean water.
Honeyman, A.S., M. Day and J.R. Spear. 2018. “Regional Fresh Snowfall Microbiology and Chemistry are Driven by Geography in Storm-Tracked Events, Colorado, USA.” PeerJ, 6: e5961; doi: 10.7717/peerj.5961.
Primary Contacts:
John Spear jspear@mines.edu
Student Preparation
Qualifications
Knowledge of microbiology and geochemistry. A good project for either CEE and/or QBE students.
TIME COMMITMENT (HRS/WK)
3-5
SKILLS/TECHNIQUES GAINED
Become familiar with microscopy techniques, data interpretation, statistical analysis, DNA extraction, bioinformatic interpretation of DNA sequence.
MENTORING PLAN
We will meet weekly to discuss details of the project. Additionally, student(s) will be exposed to interactions with several graduate students on a regular basis.
PREFERRED STUDENT STATUS
Junior
Senior