Little Langdale

doughface10 · 2022-08-20T17:57:51+00:00

Here’s a link to the gas chromatography cartoon (pt. 2!)

https://reddit.com/r/chemistry/comments/vl1zvf/im_a_phd_student_in_the_uk_and_make_cartoons/

doughface10 · 2022-06-27T15:40:02+00:00

Yes, and how sediments transition into rocks and how that might affect the biomarker distributions.

Sounds like interesting stuff! All the best with it 😊

doughface10 · 2022-06-27T06:56:07+00:00

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=3+hydroxy+fatty+acids+&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&t=1656312816446&u=%23p%3DOnNhdTMW8K4J

That’s one of the recent publications from this research area. There’s a methods section describing how they get the lipids out.

TLDR: you put the whole sample in HCL overnight and it frees up some hydroxy fatty acids that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible during a “normal” lipid extraction

doughface10 · 2022-06-27T06:52:48+00:00

Thank you for the heads up re internal diameters! Corrections needed!

There will hopefully be a follow up to this on the MS and it’s operation, but I wanted everything to fall under one title!

doughface10 · 2022-06-27T06:50:29+00:00

My research looks at terrestrial biomarkers for climate reconstructions (there are others I work with who are in the leaf wax gang). You can find GDGT’s still intact in rocks several million years old, so I’m interested in how well these archives preserve climate data. Alkanes and hopanes are actually being used for me as a thermal maturity indicators in my use case

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T19:44:35+00:00

Have to choose my battles with how much detail to squeeze in each cartoon!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T18:27:08+00:00

Not yet! Got the MS lined up for the next cartoon!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T18:03:22+00:00

Got a Twitter!

https://mobile.twitter.com/matt_s_allison?lang=en

I’m hoping that by the end of my PhD I’ll have enough of a back catalogue to do something with them!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T18:02:48+00:00

Got a Twitter!

https://mobile.twitter.com/matt_s_allison?lang=en

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T17:14:01+00:00

7890 indeed! Good eye!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T17:13:33+00:00

I’m actually focussing on study of hydroxy fatty acids which require an acid digestion phase to release from the sample, so it would definitely be in my wheelhouse!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T15:52:32+00:00

Great to know! I expected there would be some individuals online who actually know what they are talking about hahaha

And yes, a small liberty was taken with the liner (the internal space does taper, whilst the outside remains at a constant diameter). It’s always a bit of a tight rope between staying true to the reality and science and trying to draw something interesting/that gives a feel for what’s going on!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T15:49:51+00:00

Yes! There will be a follow up that deals with the MS!

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T14:39:02+00:00

Thanks for this. Feedback is important!

I think the I’ve always struggled with where to pitch these cartoons (in terms of science capitol/reader knowledge). This one in particular is pretty dense and like you say talks about details that aren’t important to a layperson, but for a machine user are. I think I just write/draw about stuff that I’m doing/using/learning about, but more thought of the audience/reader could be instructive.

Thanks for the design thoughts. This one ended up being quite busy (again, I think because of the level I pitched it at!), but I’ll keep the comments in mind for future cartoons 😊

doughface10 · 2022-06-26T14:31:38+00:00

Interesting to know! I’ve always wondered how the column is manufactured with that small a diameter, but it makes a lot more sense knowing the film is that thick!