Already Missing My TRIP! by Sachin Chhaya

This really went by too fast. From sorting on ice to yapping away with lab mates, every moment of TRIP has been a blast. I learned so much about experimental processes as well the amount of effort and thought that goes into research to create something meaningful and significant. I was not only able to learn about scientific equipment and methodology, but also pursue my personal interest with epinephrine. Epinephrine not only is used in allergic reactions, but is also the primary hormone that is released under stress. Studying the long term impacts of epinephrine may have implications on not just allergy-related issues but mental health as well! ​

Since the last time I wrote, I tweaked my independent project! Originally, I wanted to look at the effects of epinephrine on female fertility, but I decided to add its impact on motility and activity to get a greater idea of the drug’s impact on the overall health of the fly. I did this by incorporating the negative geotaxis assay on the F1 offspring in each of the conditions. These offspring have lived their entire lives with the increased levels of epinephrine, so it would convey the impacts of long-term exposure.

Week by week, I set up and tested 4 vials: a control, a 0.1x dose of Epi-Pen, a 1x dose of Epi-Pen, and a 10x dose of Epi-Pen. Throughout the six weeks, I was able to rack up 20 vials of flies! Using the female fertility assay, I measured the number of progeny produced per female, but I was unable to see a distinct pattern. Luckily, over the course of 3 replications, my negative geotaxis assay saw a distinct downward trend in activity as more epinephrine was added. I also took developmental data, and especially looked at the percent eclosion for each of my experimental conditions. I was surprised to see that there was also a direct correlation between the amount of epinephrine and their ability to eclose! Long term exposure to epinephrine did not just negatively impact their activity, but their overall health and developmental cycle. This data shows that exposure to epinephrine, thus stress, can negatively impact many biological processes of fruit flies and humans alike. 

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    During the entire process, I had to learn how to adapt and become more efficient with my time and materials. In the beginning, it took me almost an hour to prepare the fly vials, but by the end it took less than half! This experience was easily the highlight of my junior year in high school, and I will remember it for the rest of my life. I just wish it was longer! Thank you to the TAs Niki and Anoosha for teaching me assays and always brightening the mood. I especially want to thank Dr. Leystra, Dr. Purdy, and Dr. Valdés for walking me through the entire program and teaching me how to think like a scientist. This really was a TRIP I will not forget about!