A Trip of a Lifetime! by Samarth Mannikeri

Hey, hey everyone! Wow, what a ride it has been; my time at TRIP has literally flown by (do you get it?) Unfortunately, this will be my last post for the program, though it has been quite a bittersweet ending!

Let me catch you up real quick. These past few weeks have been quite eventful. I have been focusing on how Penicillin & Streptomycin (a contemporary form of medicine) and Asparagus racemosus (a completely natural form of medicine) affect fertility and the rate of growth. The results, on the other hand, have been fruitful and outstanding. It seems that the natural antibiotic (A. racemosus) has been quite successful in proving its data amongst fertility and rate of growth. 

---

To understand how each assay was performed, I wanted to determine the correct concentration and dosage to provide to the fruit flies. Therefore, I tried to perform a microbiome assay for the flies themselves, but it failed. In fact, the higher dosages had more bacteria compared to the standard (calculated) dosage and medium dose.

As a result, I decided to use the standard dosage of A. racemosus for the flies, along with the standard dosage of Penicillin & Streptomycin (PenStrep). For my first repetition, I prepared the female fertility assay by separating the females and allocating them into individual collection cages. Then, I placed grape plates with a bit of yeast paste (making the perfect fly soup!) enticing the female flies to lay their embryos. Compared to the control, the natural antibiotic had laid the most amount of embryos, and I nearly had 192 embryos for my third repetition! To illustrate the groundwork for my quantitative analysis, I calculated the embryos per female and the percent hatching; this depicts the success of the offspring. Both results had been in favor of the natural antibiotic.

Additionally, I also completed the overall growth assay. In collaboration with the Image J (Fiji) software, I was able to compile and measure images taken through a microscope. With numerous repetitions, I was able to deduce the fact that the natural antibiotic had resulted in a larger growth for the fruit flies, thereby proving the fact that the natural antibiotic is more successful when compared to its modern/contemporary counterpart. 

Furthermore, I plan on collecting additional information on the side effects seen in the artificial antibiotic, as it is quite prevalent. Though it is extremely important to mention the fact that the natural antibiotic does not contain any side effects, the artificial antibiotic’s effectiveness may be reliant on this information. However, I am still comparing and analyzing this data, and I hope to present my findings at the symposium. 

Though my experience with TRIP was too short (and, my statistical analysis shows, my unpaired t-test results illustrate p > 0.05), I have learned so many things, as time truly flew like a fly (get it?)! Along with establishing close relationships with my TRIP peers and teachers, the lessons I have learned in this program have not only helped me in the lab but have also helped my daily life. From helping others to rigorously working on our independent projects, the lessons from TRIP will surely last a lifetime.

This wonderful program has given me a complete research experience, something incomparable to a high school classroom. I am certain that the conversations and experiences that occurred in the program will last forever, and I can't wait to go back to another lab! All in all, I’m truly grateful and happy to have made it this far, to be a part of this program and amazing community. I am completely ready for this final presentation, and though this may be the end of a TRIP of a lifetime, this is just the beginning of my wonderful career in the world of medicine!