Hi everyone! It has been a month since the start of this wonderful TRIP, and we are approaching halfway to our destination. I told y’all in blog 1 that I love to challenge myself with new ideas and surround myself with new people, and the last five weeks have been a BLAST for me. I have learned how to make fly foods, sort flies, conduct behavioral assays, and also made a lot of new friends. I enjoyed every bit of it, so I want to express thanks to Dr. Purdy, Dr. Austria, Dr. Valdes, Mr. Cozzone, our TAs, and peers for making this TRIP such a memorable experience.

In the rest of the TRIP, I will be conducting my independent project. My current idea is to test the effect of antibiotics-induced disruption of microbiota on overall immune health. Human consumption of antibiotics has increased by 48% since 2000. It is known that antibiotics will not only kill pathogenic bacteria but also the gut microbiome, causing a decrease in microbiome diversity.  I am curious if this process will have an effect on immune health and potentially make people more prone to disease in the short term, which is paradoxical because imagine you ingest something to kill bacteria, but it actually makes you more susceptible to bacteria. I am interested in this project because I like studying the interaction among the systems within the human body, in this case, microbiota-immune system interaction. During the brainstorming seminar, I realized that an unfeasible part of my program is to infect bacteria. But thanks to Dr. Austria’s support, right now I am working on designing a non-pathogenic protocol to quantify flies’ immunity through heat-induced melanization. I am SO EXCITED to start my independent project next week!

Hello, hello! Thanks for tuning in to officially the halfway point of my journey here at TRIP! It has definitely been an eventful 5 weeks, between learning more about my fellow TRIP classmates, doing copious amounts of homework and performing our kickoff experiments. From which I learned a ton about setting up experiments, how to use lab equipment, and working with fruit flies (which is a lot easier and less gross than I originally thought). 

​I'm so excited to officially get started on my independent project! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more updates as we near our final symposium!

As of right now we just finished up our kickoff experiment and are moving onto our independent project. For my kickoff experiment I explored the effects of ginkgo biloba (a species of trees native to East Asia that are thought to aid in blood flow due to vaso-dilation) and head trauma on anxiety levels. In order to test this, I conducted the open field test, which determines fly anxiety levels when placed on an agar plate. The closer the fly is to the edge of the plate after some time has passed, the more anxious it is. Through this test I was able to conclude that head trauma increased fly anxiety levels the most across all the testing conditions, while just ginkgo biloba returned fly behavior and anxiety levels to regular levels seen in the control. It was interesting to see that when the stressor and the drug were combined, ginkgo biloba overpowered the negative effects of head trauma, resulting in overall less anxious flies. This basically means that ginkgo biloba is good for addressing anxiety!

It’s been a few weeks into TRIP, and it has been nothing short of amazing. I got to do things that I’ve never done before, like icing and sorting flies and using micropipettes. The kickoff experiment was an incredible view into experimenting with flies. My project was about seeing the effects of intestinal inflammation and fly motility. I’ve induced intestinal inflammation by adding soap into the fly food and used licorice as a drug to help alleviate the inflammation and improve motility. A week later, I tested the flies’ motility by using Negative Geotaxis Assay, where I recorded the height to which flies climbed in three seconds and determined if they had normal or low motility. Although the results were not something I expected, almost all of the flies sat at the bottom of the vial and therefore were recorded as having low motility. The process of sharing my findings to my peers and instructors through a presentation taught me a lot about how to convey ideas in science and biology. 

From calculating dilutions to measuring anxiety in fruit flies, we’re doing everything here at TRIP! In these first few weeks, I’ve completed my kickoff experiment, given my first TRIP presentation, and started planning my independent project. It’s been a whirlwind of challenging, interesting, engaging, and fun.

​In my kickoff experiment, I studied the impact of licorice and intestinal inflammation on anxiety. Ingesting soap can cause intestinal inflammation, while licorice has been known to help combat it. To test these claims, I made four vials of food: one with soap in it, one with licorice, one with both, and one with neither. Making these vials introduced me to preparing solutions and sorting flies. I found sorting to be fun and relatively simple, but I felt bad for the flies, since we had to knock them out by exposing them to high levels of carbon dioxide, thus causing low levels of oxygen. In my hypothesis, I predicted that the flies eating soap would be the most anxious, due to the negative effects on their intestines. I thought the flies in the control group, eating normal food, would be the least anxious, and the flies eating soap and licorice at the same time would have anxiety levels close to the control group, since the effects of the soap and the licorice would cancel each other out. When testing anxiety, we use the Centrophobism Assay, also known as the Open Field Test. During the protocol, I timed the seconds a fly spent in the center of a small Petri dish. Anxious flies spend more time at the edge of the dish than at the center. An anxious animal does not want to spend time in the middle of a space, open and vulnerable; it wants to be at the edges and corners (think about how you’d feel if you walked into an unfamiliar room full of people you didn’t know. Would you move to the very center of the room?). This assay can also test locomotion. Along with seconds spent in the center, I timed seconds that the flies spent moving. I did three tests per vial and calculated the averages. My results were surprising, contradicting my hypothesis. The flies eating licorice and soap alone were less anxious than the control group and the flies eating the soap + licorice combination. However, ingesting licorice and soap alone greatly decreased locomotion compared to the control, but the combination made the flies more mobile than the substances alone. Overall, it was an interesting experiment, but I do not plan to do the Centrophobism Assay in the future. I felt as though there were too many variables, too many steps in the process that could have made the flies anxious, such as transferring and sorting them.

For my independent project, I will be studying the gut microbiome. This topic has interested me since I had an unfortunate experience with a bacterial infection and my mom suggested taking probiotics while recovering in order to help my gut return to its normal microbial balance. I’ve since wondered about the effect of probiotics and whether or not taking a probiotic supplement would have helped me. I also took a microbiology class at my high school last semester and found the topic extremely fascinating, so I came into TRIP with a desire to study something to do with microbiomes. At first, I wanted to study the impact of probiotics on the gut microbiome after exposure to antibiotics, an experiment that would replicate my experience. But after workshopping with Dr. Purdy, Dr. Austria, Dr. Valdes, and my TRIP classmates, it was determined that such an experiment would not be possible with our time constraints and lab days being only once a week. We figured out a more doable experiment, one that still interests me. I will be looking at how prebiotics compare to probiotics, pertaining to their effects on the gut microbiome and on overall health of the flies. Both are meant to improve the health and diversity of bacteria in our digestive systems, but not much research has been done into their true effect on our health.

​I greatly value everything I learned from my first experiment here, and I’m so excited to dive into the next one!

Hi everyone! I can’t believe that it has been almost a month since I have started TRIP. I have already learned so much over these past few weeks, and I can’t wait to dive even deeper!

For my kickoff experiment, I explored the question “How does fenugreek and a high sugar diet affect female fertility?” To investigate this, I learned how to sort fruit flies, perform a fertility assay, and analyze data. The fertility assay itself was a nerve-wracking experience—I had to transfer flies while they were awake and active (no sleeping flies to make things easier!) from their food vials to collection cages with grape plates on top. After incubating for about two hours, the females laid their fertilized eggs  on the plates. I ultimately discovered that fenugreek and a high sugar diet both negatively affected female fertility, which was contrary to my original hypothesis that fenugreek would improve fertility. Despite my initial fear, I can now say that I definitely feel more confident handling fruit flies!

After presenting my kickoff experiment to my peers, I began brainstorming my independent project. I drew on my experience taking albuterol to alleviate asthma flare ups as inspiration for my independent project. After reflecting on my experience with the medication, I noticed that dizziness and anxiety are commonly associated with the drug. Therefore, I knew I wanted my experiment to relate the two. However, when discussing my project with the TRIP mentors, I realized that since fruit flies don’t have lungs and instead breathe through tiny openings in their exoskeleton, testing albuterol directly wasn’t an option (plus, I wasn’t exactly psyched about sharing my inhaler with them). Therefore, I landed on a similar drug used to treat sinus congestion, Sudafed. Now for my independent project, I will be studying how different concentrations of Sudafed affect fruit fly anxiety and sociability. 

​I can’t wait to see where this experiment takes me and to share my findings with all of you soon! See you next time!

​So far, TRIP has been an amazing experience! I’ve loved getting to know everyone in the program these past couple of weeks. We’ve shared ideas, helped each other brainstorm, and worked through challenges together. It’s been a great learning experience, and I’ve really appreciated the collaborative atmosphere in the lab. Since my last blog, I’ve completed my kickoff experiment, learned how to conduct the Social Space Assay, analyzed data using cool software, and presented my findings to my peers and mentors. The Social Space Assay determines how social the flies are by measuring the distance between them. If they’re closer together, they’re more social. Unexpectedly, the flies that experienced head trauma were more social than the control group rather than less social, as I initially thought. Maybe the head trauma disrupted their brain in a way that increased sociability by affecting neurotransmitters or triggering a stress response that made them seek comfort in other flies. Or maybe they were just completely dazed and disoriented, and their normal social instincts went out the window. It’s hard to say for sure, but it really makes me wonder how much of our social behavior is driven by instinct or brain chemistry rather than being entirely conscious or intentional. Along with that, presenting my results was a great learning experience. It pushed me to think critically about data. I learned how to organize my slides properly, explain my results clearly, and keep an audience engaged. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned from this kickoff experiment to my independent project and the symposium.

​For my independent project, I’m investigating how early-life stress, specifically UV radiation exposure in embryos, affects memory in larval fruit flies. I’m also looking at whether Vitamin D3 supplementation might help protect the flies’ brains from the potential negative effects of UV radiation and improve memory. I came up with this experiment idea because I’ve always been fascinated with the connection between our environment and brain development. Specifically, how early-life stress, like childhood trauma, might shape cognitive function and whether or not supplements like D3 can help the brain cope with trauma and stress. There’s still so much we don’t fully understand about how stress in childhood affects the brain later on in life, especially in teenagers, so I wanted to dig deeper into this idea. If an early-life stressor does impact cognitive function by affecting memory, it could suggest that young people who experience trauma may face challenges in areas like learning and academic performance. Understanding these effects could be an important step toward acknowledging how much our environment shapes us, and maybe, we could find better ways to support those who have been impacted by early-life stress. I can’t wait to start researching and see where it takes me!

Hey everyone!!! My name is Samhita Ganti, and I am a junior at the Downingtown STEM Academy. 

In my free time, you would definitely catch me with my violin. I participate in both my school orchestra and out of school orchestra. Being the section leader for the second violin in the Chester County Youth Orchestra, provided me with leadership skills, which also helped to showcase my dedication for this instrument. I have been playing this for around 8 years now, where last year I was given the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall virtually.  In school, I am involved with Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and Scientista, where I take part in leading science experiments at my local middle schools. This club provided me with the opportunity to inspire young minds about the great world of science, something that happened to me when I was a 6th grader in this very club. Outside of school, I love to spend my time volunteering to help out our community. I serve as a Project Manager at Strive2Thrive, where I collaborate with different countries to set up tutoring classes for underprivileged students. 

I am so grateful to be a part of the TRIP community, mostly to strengthen the knowledge I currently know about the subjects I love (chemistry and biology) and start learning about flies!! I am looking forward to being able to design my independent research project. My kickoff experience focuses on how St. John’s Wort and disturbed circadian rhythms affect fly anxiety. I am so excited to see what this program has in store for us!!!

Hey everyone! My name is Warrin John, and I am a student at the Downingtown STEM Academy. I joined TRIP as I saw it as a great opportunity to conduct hypothesis-driven research through a real laboratory environment. When I had first heard about TRIP through one of my friends, I knew right away that no matter what I HAD to be a part of this. Science has always been an interest to me, especially how it connects to improving people's lives, and I felt that TRIP was the perfect place to further explore that passion of mine. Also, my current favorite subject in school is Biology, so looking deeper into this particular area is super exciting. So far, I’m looking forward to having a fun experience with many like-minded individuals who share similar passions!

So, who am I? I am 17 years old and am particularly interested in healthcare and dermatology. One of my favorite things to do is eating and trying new foods. Currently my favorite food is two sliders and fries from Asads Hot Chicken (all extra hot) and a chocolate milkshake. Aside from eating, my favorite things to do in my free time are go to the gym or watch a horror movie with my little brother. I like to go to the gym because I am always finding ways to improve as a person both physically and mentally. I find it very rewarding to put myself through a challenge of consistency and see my progress overtime. As for watching horror movies, my favorite one right now has to be the platform because it shows a completely dystopian yet realistic depiction of a fictional prison system that causes people to completely change and infringe their sanity. I am also involved in a wide variety of school clubs and extracurricular activities that take up most of my free time. As far as school clubs, my favorites are DECA and HOSA as I have qualified for the international conferences in both and got to travel to different states because of them. Some extracurriculars I partake in outside of school include volunteering as I help out at the Phoenixville Tower health hospital every week and I am a part of SEWA which is a youth-lead hindu volunteering organization. I also work on personal projects that cater to my future career in dermatology. For example, I have worked on machine learning models for skin condition recognition and also conducted research on skin health. I also have been playing the piano ever since I was 5 years old. I love the piano because to me, it’s a calm place for me to just sit down and disconnect from everything that's going on. Also, the feeling of finally memorizing and playing a song from start to finish without flaw is the best! Lastly, my favorite animal is a dog mainly because I have the cutest dog whose name is Joy. Joy lives up to her name and brings loads of happiness and energy into my family’s life. She’s my constant reminder to embrace the little things in life—unironically, as she weighs only 15 pounds!

My first day of TRIP was very exciting and funny. In the beginning we started with a Bingo Icebreaker where I was able to learn everyone's names and some hobbies or facts that they aligned with. I tried my best to win but unfortunately, I went on a 0-7 losing streak at the end which cost me the entire game. We then went through a Lab scavenger hunt which I found very helpful. Through this I was able to familiarize where everything was in the case, I would need it for part of my experiment. Next, the funniest part of the day was photos where we were asked to pose for what felt like hundreds of photos and we couldn't stop laughing whenever we were trying to pose. We also went over the basics of unit conversions and even practiced using micropipettes. It felt good to get a refresher on these things as I know I will be needing it throughout my entire TRIP experience. Finally, using our micropipetting skills, we ended off the day with preparing fly food for our kickoff experiment. 

​I joined TRIP because I’m passionate about science, math, and research. I’ve always been curious about how things work, and this program feels like the perfect opportunity to explore those interests while preparing for a future career in the medical field. The first day was such a mix of excitement and nerves, but everyone I met made me feel at home. The TAs were incredibly kind and approachable, always ready to help when I had questions. Dr. Purdy and Dr. Austria were both so patient and supportive - Dr. Purdy helped me navigate some tricky math in the packets, and Dr. Austria made sure we were comfortable with preparing food for the flies. I already feel like this is going to be an amazing experience, and I’m so excited to dive deeper into my research and grow alongside such a talented group of people!