John Boucher
ENSC195
12/6/2012
Internship Summary
This semester I worked with Research and Development science team at Avatar Energy, led by Dr. Guy Roberts. I worked mostly with Sam Csapilla on several different research topics including incorporating food wastes into anaerobic digester systems. The most basic work I did at Avatar was to help take readings of pH and evaluating the volume and quality of gas production of the different experimental anaerobic digesters. During days where the research team was setting up new test digesters, I helped to measure out manure and digester inoculum (a smelly and messy task). Towards the end of the semester I also started some microscopy of digester samples to find the regular crew of anaerobes and colonies, and to see if I could find any new anaerobes. My focus was to see if the inoculum digesters had a shifted microbial community.
AVATAR Energy, LLC
Research and Development
Dr. Guy Roberts
guy@avatarenergy.com
12 Gregory Drive, Unit 6
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 651-4776
(802) 651-4779 FAX