Yea-Shine Lee, 2019, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Yea-Shine Lee ’19

In the Ward Lab, our goal was to examine nitrous oxide production and consumption rates in the ocean and how oxygen regulates these rates. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that causes ozone depletion and alters biodiversity. In the lab, I prepared vials with 3 milliliters of seawater that had tracers such as nitrite, nitrate, and nitrous oxide, and purged standard vials with helium. As we ran these samples on the mass spectrometer, I learned how to interpret the relative peaks and background noise. During the weeks that I used the mass spectrometer to measure nitrous oxide consumption rates, I also prepared for a sampling trip to Chesapeake Bay. My role on the boat out at Chesapeake Bay was to collect water samples being pumped onto the boat. Back at Horn Point Lab in Maryland, I assisted in all aspects of sample preparation. The experience sparked my interest not only in chemistry, but also in geosciences, and helped confirm my decision to pursue this field of study at Princeton.