An Amazing Journey In TRIP by Dakshvir Salaria

I already can’t believe TRIP is over! Over the 11 weeks of this program, I gained so much of a deeper understanding of what real biological research actually looks like. Before TRIP, I thought that research was mostly about just running an experiment, getting results, and writing a conclusion. But once I started the program, I realized that the planning process is just as important as the lab work. Learning how to handle fruit flies, work with lab tools, and following procedures has been completely new for me, and honestly, I thought it was really intimidating. I quickly learned that science isn’t always neat or predictable, but rather it’s a messy process. Mistakes, confusion, and unwanted/unexpected outcomes are simply part of the process.

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​For my independent project, I studied how UV radiation affected melanization in fruit flies, and whether Vitamin E can reduce the effects of the stress responses that followed. UV radiation is a well known environmental stressor that causes oxidative stress, cellular damage, and DNA mutations. In humans, one response to UV exposure is an increase of melanin production, which is essentially why skin becomes darker after exposure to sunlight. Fruit flies also produce melanin and use it as their defense system, just like us! Vitamin E is a common antioxidant that’s found in supplements and skincare products, and my experiment focused on whether Vitamin E supplementation could reduce UV related pigmentation changes during the development of fruit flies. The reason why I chose this project is because I wanted to explore something in skin health, this project strongly connects to real life and human health. Almost everyone is exposed to sunlight, whether it’s tanning on the beach, or taking a walk outside, the question is how do we reduce the negative impacts of UV?

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​Overall, TRIP has been a challenging, but super exciting experience for me. One of my favorite parts has been how hands-on the program is, because it feels like I’m doing real science instead of just summarizing things that are already known. I loved learning about how to sort flies, prepare vials, and actually think through experimental design. 

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​At the same time, I thought that some parts were stressful, such as learning how to do drug calculations and dilutions. However, my amazing instructors were there to support me and help me understand it. But I also feel like that struggle is what made the experience meaningful. I’m super proud of my independent research, and I learned so much.