Food at Diamond improves?

It's 0715 on our final morning. The beam goes off at 0900 and a new set of victims / scientists arrive for their beamtime. Over the last two days we've taken lots of element maps and measured the form of calciumj and strontium in four earthworm species - Amynthus and Pontescolex as initially planned and, thanks to John and Stephen's hero run to Cardiff, Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus rubellus and Lumbricus terrestris. So two Azorean earthworms then a compost worm and two good old fashioned worms from  UK soils. We've checked out the calcium and strontium in the skin (epidermis), liver like tissues (chloragog) and the calciferous gland (Amynthus doesn't have one, E. fetida's is rather different from that of Pontescolex, L. rubellus and L. terrestris). We've got some lovely images and there is possibly a story emerging about how calcium is stored in earthworm tissues but I think that will need to be digested a bit before something emerges.

A calcium map of a L. rubellus calciferous gland - you can even see the structure in the gland - the vertical stripes. The image reminds us of a fish.

The food has been instructive! Last visit I drew the conclusion that most food served in the staff canteen was beige and not great. I may be forced to reassess. Because of the open day on Saturday food on Friday and Saturday was served in the accommodation block, Ridgeway house. These guys are set up for breakfasts but have a small kitchen. I'm sure that they did their best but lunches and dinners were less than inspiring.

Standard lunch and dinner choices at Ridgeway house - the ubiquitous baked potato, beans, sausages and soft veg.

On Sunday the staff canteen was open and it shone in comparison to Ridgeway house. So perhaps I take all those food reviews back!

Stephen, John, Dave and Pete (clockwise from left) enjoying dinner on Monday evening.

All told we've got quite a lot done, working in shifts. Five people seems to have been a good number to run things, get enough sleep and have time to get to Cardiff and back for more specimens.

John and Dave on the beamline.

Pete either catching up on some sleep or deeply pondering our data.

Stephen organising files.