Phytophthora belongs to a group of plant pathogens found in the Kingdom Protista and is known to be highly destructive to plants. The water mold has been found all over the U.S. but just in Washington and Oregon, there are over 30 different species. This water mold is a significant problem in the Pacific Northwest because it infects Pacific Rhododendron leaves. Comprehending the factors that contribute most to the diversification of the Phytophthora species is essential in sourcing and minimizing its spread. We anticipate that the presence of Phytophthora species in residential areas, influenced by human activities, will procure a higher diversity rate of at least 3 or more species. This expectation is rooted in the understanding that the human influence on these environments contribute to an increase in landscaping that works for the proliferation of diverse Phytophthora species. Our location sampling of choice for the bacteria was Chambers Creek located in Pierce County, WA. Chambers Creek has mostly residentially areas surrounding. We gathered four leaves from a rhododendron plant on the Pierce College Fort Steilacoom. We placed the collected rhododendron leaves into bags which were then submerged in the water and left undisturbed for a duration of approximately nine days for observation and analysis. We plan to inoculate the necrotic tissue into V8 agar. We plan to isolate DNA of the Cox-1 subunit protein and sequence it to then use bioinformatics to identify species of Phytophthora. We will use class data to determine if residential areas have an effect on Phytophthora diversity.

A direct current (DC) discharge is one method for producing plasma. Plasma, the 4th state of matter, is defined as the separation of positive ions and electrons in a gas. A gas transforms into a plasma in an isolated low-pressure area between two electrodes, a cathode and an anode. The DC discharge, particularly the DC glow discharge, has historically been significant for both investigating plasma characteristics and providing a weakly ionized plasma for various uses. This project explores the utilization of Faraday’s Law as a fundamental principle for quantifying plasma currents. A fundamental principle of electromagnetism that I have been exploring on this project is Faraday’s Law, this law is especially useful in plasma physics when figuring out the current flowing through a plasma column or confinement device. The device I am building is called a B-dot probe which will be used to measure the current when the discharge turns on. The B-dot probe is essentially a coil made of conducting wire with a “tail” (twisted pair). Through a series of tests, I have procured the average magnetic field produced by the plasma current. From this average magnetic field and geometric measurements the average plasma current is deduced. Plasma is used everywhere now a days like in your TV and neon lights as well as in nature like the aurora borealis. With this research I hope to make the understanding behind the physics of plasma as well as it's magnetic fields easier to comprehend.