Blog Archives

Declaration of Independent Project by Jacqueline Faulk

6/30/2020

My first few weeks in the program were super fun, but pretty stressful. It is a refreshing change of pace to find something that I love to do and make connections about something that I care about. I feel as though I am being pushed to be the best version of me that I can be, and showing myself everything I am capable of and more. Not only am I doing something I love, I’m doing it with people I love. When Dr. Purdy first said that TRIP is a family, I was a little skeptical. However, I have come to cherish and adore the 14 people I see at 8:30 AM every Saturday.

I am choosing to study the effects of calcium, a typical nutrient in the human diet, on the microbiome as my independent project. The microbiome is the scientific term for the bacteria in your gut, something I was unaware that I had until a few weeks ago. I predict that the calcium will positively affect the microbiome by increasing the quantity and diversity of the bacteria colonies. I will also be testing the effects of calcium with high sugar. A high amount of natural sugar is known to harm the microbiome by decreasing the quantity and diversity of the colonies, and I want to test and see if calcium when paired with high sugar can offset the effects of the high sugar. I am interested in this topic because it could change human health and the way we shape our diets in the future.

With my inspiration from TRIP, I decided to study the microbiome outside of the lab as well. In one of my other classes, we have a different type of independent research project, where I will be looking at how the microbiome affects depression and what we, as humans, could do to decrease the risk of depression by altering the microbiome. The microbiome has been known to influence mood, for it is responsible for long-term changes of systems connected to the brain. However, your microbiome is always changing, so it is a fairly new topic of research. Aside from my research, I use skills like scientific communication and the way to make a meaningful presentation every day. TRIP has influenced my life inside and outside of the lab, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes me!

A New Experience by Ansh Gadodia

6/29/2020

This program is giving me an opportunity to explore experiments I never thought I would perform.

Wow! This program is giving me an opportunity to explore experiments I never thought I would perform. From knocking out flies using carbon dioxide and ice to making fly food, I am being exposed to vastly different experiences than what I am used to. I started off this program with a sample experiment, testing the effects of Folic Acid and high temperature on female fertility and development. After learning how to perform a proper experiment, we are now about to begin our independent projects, and I am extremely excited!

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My project is about the effects of turmeric powder in a fly’s diet on mobility, and I am testing both adults and larvae. The reason I am so interested in this project is that since ancient times, turmeric has been used as a healing agent for sickness, since it is supposed to help destroy harmful bacteria. For this reason, sometimes when I am sick, I eat a paste made of this powder and honey. My reasoning for choosing this project is that I wanted to know if turmeric actually has health benefits, or if that was just a myth. Since normally, the more active you are, the more healthy you are, I thought testing mobility would be a good way to test the effects of turmeric powder on health. I think that turmeric will end up increasing mobility in the flies, but I will find out the results soon!

I can’t wait to get started with the project and see my experiment in action!

Just the Beginning by Anjali Patel

6/29/2020

The first few weeks into the program have been incredible. Everyone has been so welcoming and we all have gotten to know each other pretty well. The teaching assistants have also been very helpful and have provided assistance and guidance whenever I needed it. I have learned and developed so many experimental and presentation skills that are useful for the future from the practice assay I completed on how folic acid and high temperatures affect female fertility in fruit flies. For my independent project, I decided to conduct my research on assays that involve alcohol. I thought it would be interesting to do an experiment testing alcohol in female and male fruit flies, since alcohol abuse is such a major problem in humans.

At first, I wanted to see whether male flies or female flies are able to build up tolerance to the ethanol faster. However, after working on my experiment with Dr. Gardiner and a group of students, we decided to change the experiment where we test whether ginkgo biloba can help fruit flies with their memory after they have been exposed to ethanol which will affect their memory negatively. This would require the use of the larval memory assay but also adding the extra drug, ethanol, to see how the results would change. I am very excited to begin this project and to be able to compare my results with my hypothesis.

Failing… with style by Bridget Armstrong

6/25/2020

We’re almost halfway through the program and I can’t believe it. The past 6 weeks have really opened my eyes to life in the lab. I have learned so much about how the lab works and what it’s like to work independently and design my own experiments. Though these are important to gain an understanding in, the most important thing that I’ve learned in my time with TRIP so far is how to fail.

Though I managed to work around my first experiment’s disasters, my failures didn’t stop there. The next challenge that I faced was picking an independent experiment. When I came up with my first proposal, I did not expect to have to scrap the entire idea and start again... Nor did I expect it the second time. Though, working through the errors in my plans with my peers and Dr. Purdy has helped me understand that an experiment takes a lot of planning and every wrinkle has to be ironed out before it can be considered. This means a lot of questions have to be raised, a lot of ideas have to be changed, and a lot of criticism has to be taken. I didn’t realize the importance of collaboration with others when designing an experiment until these failures. Now, as I prepare to propose my third idea to the TRIP team, I’m ready to pick apart my experiment and make it testable. I’m excited to communicate my ideas, question them, and adapt my experiment. I’m excited to fail and try again.

For my very first experiment, all of my flies died before I could even conclude anything. With presentations on the data due the next week, I had no time to restart. At first, I thought that meant all the work that I had put into the experiment so far was for nothing. Though, I realized that the most valuable things that I could get out of it was learning how to utilize laboratory equipment, developing techniques and assays, and learning how to manage my time in the lab. This helped me understand that there’s always something to learn from an experiment, even a failed one.

This means a lot of questions have to be raised, a lot of ideas have to be changed, and a lot of criticism has to be taken.

Post-proposal: My idea is testable! Here’s what I proposed.
For my experiment, I’d like to test if there is a diet that can help reduce stress in those with autism spectrum disorders. I have two siblings with autism, and I’ve noticed that the parent community tends to create diets for kids like them that take away something. There are diets that take away gluten, dairy, and added sugars, but I have not seen a diet where something is added. I’d like to see if the antioxidants, or flavonoids, in dark chocolate can help reduce stress hormones and help those with autism spectrum disorders regulate their behavior.

The big question is, how do I test this with flies? Since I can’t create autism in flies, I decided that I would alter their hormones to create high stress levels. I’m utilizing the drug Prednisone to raise the stress hormones in flies to create my stressed group. I’m going to be using cocoa powder to hopefully lower these stress levels. I will have a group of flies with Prednisone, a group with cocoa powder, a group with both, and a control group. I plan to test the levels of stress in the flies with the centrophobism assay and the social space assay. These assays will give me an insight to whether or not the cocoa powder reduced how stressed the flies were after their stress levels were raised.
I’m ready to set up my experiment and get to work! I know there will be a lot of failures up ahead, and I’m more than prepared to deal with them. Thanks for reading!

These Flies Are Mad! by Charitha Marni

6/24/2020

Hey y’all! Long time no see? To keep with the theme of my last blog, I’ll also say greetings to my mom who is definitely reading this. Hey mom! Anyway, it’s been a few weeks since I started the TRIP now and I have to say, I’m loving it. I just submitted my first experimental plan this past Sunday (2/23/20) and I’m SO excited to start conducting my independent experiment. My experiment is most likely going to be about the effects of caffeine and overcrowding on fruit fly aggression. I haven’t definitively planned my project yet, but for the time being, that’s what I’ll be researching.

I got interested in this topic because I live pretty close to Philly, a city in which a majority of the population lives under the poverty line, and where overcrowding is not uncommon in certain areas. Philly also has a high crime rate and since I’m in the Philly area quite often, I wanted to see how this crime rate could be brought down. I figured that maybe by stressing my flies by overcrowding them, which may increase their aggression levels, and then testing caffeine on them to see if it would reduce their aggression levels, I could possibly find a cheap and feasible solution to the problem in Philly. I may only be 16, but you’re never too young to solve a problem, right?

I’ve also made some amazing friends at TRIP. I guess you could say that spending four hours together EVERY SATURDAY has brought us pretty close. I mentioned in my last blog that I was very excited to meet like-minded people and I think it’s safe to say that that goal has been achieved. Though I’m spending four hours of my Saturdays to work with fruit flies and learn about science (something a normal person wouldn’t necessarily consider relaxing during the weekend), it doesn’t even feel like I’m working because of all of the laughs I share with my classmates and our instructors, Dr. Purdy and Dr. Gardiner. Ugh, cheesy I know. On a lighter note, Dr. Purdy introduced me to an axolotl a few weeks ago and I have to say, that’s the coolest thing I did in February.

Overall, I’m really loving the program and I wouldn’t trade my time on Saturdays for anything else. See y’all in the next blog. Stay nerdy :)

Time Flies! by Anjali Kejariwal

6/23/2020

So far, this experience has been exciting, interesting, and overall a great time. I have met so many new high-schoolers with similar interests as mine, and can’t wait to continue to bond with them over fruit flies. ~ Anjali Kejariwal

Hi again! It’s already been four weeks into the program, and I can’t believe how many new things I’ve learned! I never would have imagined studying the life cycle of a fruit fly, learning how to differentiate between male and female flies, or even learning how to make fly food before this program, but I am so glad that I learned.

Over the past weeks I have been conducting a short, preliminary research project (I like to call it the fake research project) in order to become familiar with the different assays and the general research process. For this project, I was studying the effect that darkness, my stressor, and Rhodiola, my drug, had on mood. After finding out that Rhodiola was used to excite and energize humans, or, in this case flies, I hypothesized that flies put in dark environments and given Rhodiola won’t have a change in mood.

Presenting her screen project!

After creating the drug vials, sorting the flies, and checking the developmental data weekly, I completed the social space assay to determine how social the flies were. This assay compared the distances between flies of each condition to determine their sociability. The shorter distances meant that the flies were more active/social, while larger distances meant they were less active/social. So far, this experience has been exciting, interesting, and overall a great time. I have met so many new high-schoolers with similar interests as mine, and can’t wait to continue to bond with them over fruit flies.

As for my individual research project that I will be conducting over the next weeks, I wanted to choose a topic involving sleep deprivation and memory. Even before being accepted into TRIP, I knew my focus would be about the effects of sleep deprivation because as a high schooler with after-school activities, rigorous coursework, and jobs, I tend to not get the recommended amount of sleep, sometimes not getting sleep at all. I wanted to see whether these sleep patterns affected performance in school with tests and quizzes or just focus in class. With these thoughts and the help of peers and mentors, I finally decided to study how memory is affected by lack of sleep. However, to further challenge myself, and still continue with the high school theme, I also decided to study how caffeine impacts memory. In summary, my research question is how does caffeine and melatonin (a sleep inducing drug) affect cognitive function, specifically memory?

I can’t wait to answer this question in the coming weeks and learn even more about fruit flies! I’ll check back with you soon!

All About Me! by Katie Daniels

6/22/2020

Hey, y’all! I’m Katie Daniels and am currently a sophomore at Council Rock North High School in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Although I was born in Georgia, I have lived up north for most of my life. At school, I am extremely involved in my school’s student government organization where I serve as both the bridge between student government and the school board as well as a member of the constitutional committee. I have always been an avid member of my school’s community service club, SHARE, because it has allowed me to find something bigger than myself to support. Although I am no Picasso, I do enjoy painting with watercolors which are a great break from my usual Type A personality.

Growing up, I was always an avid athlete whether it was playing soccer for the ODP program or varsity field hockey in my freshman year. As you can imagine, playing many sports continuously caused quite a few injuries and, in my case, three concussions which later triggered a condition called POTS. POTS removed me from a core part of myself as I could not run or stand for extended periods of time, but it refueled my passion for science. I wanted to understand what was going on within my body, and the only way to satiate that thirst was through scientific research. Ever since I have pestered my family and friends with random neuroscience jokes and facts as well as looked for any opportunity to gain lab experience. Of course, TRIP is the perfect avenue to pursue this interest.

Although I am not a social butterfly, I am so excited to work with my fellow classmates as we learn and grow together over the next few months. The first week of TRIP has reminded me why I love STEM and especially science-- it is hands-on in a way no other subject can be.

After learning about one another through a get-to-know-you exercise, I learned the basics of micropipetting and gained some practice working with the chemical balance which is far more precise than any other balance I have ever used.

For my initial project, I will be working with St. John’s Wort, an antidepressant, and the stressor will be head trauma. As someone who has lived through a lot of concussions, I am very curious as to how flies with the medicine and stressor will respond in the locomotion assay as well as how head trauma will even be inflicted on the flies. As for now, I am incredibly excited to embark further on this adventure with my TRIP teammates and cannot wait for another great session!

Get to Know Venus! by Venus Agbadan

6/19/2020

My name is Xose Venus Agbadan (most people call me Venus), and I am a junior at Cheltenham High School in Montgomery County (Go Panthers!). I was born in Togo in West Africa and lived in Ghana until I was 3, and then I moved to the U.S.

At school, I play the violin in my Chamber Orchestra, sing in my school's Select Choir, and I am also a theater kid! I have done every production my school has put on since 7th grade and was recently Beatrice in our production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

I am Co-Captain of my school's FIRST Robotics Team. I created and run a WISE (Women In Science & Engineering) Club at my school (It's my baby). I really enjoy doing STEM that outreaches to others, whether it be other high school students or my community or younger kids - it gives me the most fulfillment.

Outside of school I like to bullet journal, read, listen to music, and geek out over one of my many obsessions. I am a fan of organization in general and although my bullet journal calligraphy and doodles are not amazing, having a bullet journal makes me feel as though I have my life slightly together haha. I don't have a favorite book, but my favorite author is Rainbow Rowell. If you're ever looking for good clearance deals, Target will surprise you. In terms of music, I listen to everything from Bach to 21 Savage to Cuco to Dear Evan Hansen. Some of my obsession include Timothee Chalamet (I LOVEEE HIM), scrolling through Pinterest, and watching guilty pleasure shows (i.e. The Bachelor franchise and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series).

I'm involved with TRIP because I love learning, and I love science. I try to encourage myself to dive into things that are foreign to me and maybe even a little nerve racking. At the moment, I'm also in the "Do I want to study Chemistry? Do I want to be a Doctor? What About a Research Scientist? Maybe a Physicist?" stage in my life and I think, well I hope, this might help with that. Regardless, science and research is so fascinating, and I'm ready to make discoveries, mistakes, and have a great time!

The Start to a Wonderful Journey by Xandro Xu

6/18/2020

Though it is only week two of the program, I am already feeling at home. I love the kindness and respect everyone has towards each other, and our willingness to help each other succeed.

Hi everyone! My name is Xandro Xu, and I am a junior currently attending Phoenixville Area High School. I have lived in Phoenixville for 11 years of my life, but for the first five, I have been traveling all over, from Philadelphia all the way to China (I’ve actually lived there for four years!)

Something that you may not know about me is that I am also very passionate about music. I have been playing piano since the age of four and have had numerous opportunities to perform at various renowned locations, including Carnegie Hall. I also play the clarinet, and was fortunate enough to qualify for the district, regional, and state level division conference this year. Music is something that has had such a profound impact on my life. Some of my other hobbies include landscape photography and reading (I love a good book!) At school, I participate in various activities, including my school’s marching band, the boys’ tennis team, and the student council.

Growing up, I’ve always had a keen interest in the STEM field, inspired both from reading books to external influences from my best friend. In the future, I would like to work in the field of neurology and possibly obtain a Ph.D. Being a part of TRIP is the perfect opportunity for me to not only expand my scope of knowledge in the scientific research field, but to challenge myself on a greater personal level as well and to grow as a person. There are many aspects of TRIP that requires the usage of skills that do not necessarily pertain to STEM at all, some of which include cooperation and leadership.

Though it is only week two of the program, I am already feeling at home. I love the kindness and respect everyone has towards each other, and our willingness to help each other succeed. I also know that throughout this program, I will face numerous challenges that I will have to work to overcome. I am beyond excited to see where this program brings me and am even more excited to share the rest of my journey with you all!

Vedha’s Start to TRIP! by Vedha Viddam

6/17/2020

I am involved in TRIP because I want to get a hands-on experience with lab based research. I’ve always loved the labs we had to do in Biology and Chemistry class, so I hope to have some fun!

My goal is to help others lead a happier and healthier life starting with my own family members, whom I have seen, suffer from psoriasis, since my childhood. This condition is thought to be caused by the overactivity of the immune system. Currently, there is no cure for this, but using my passion for understanding diseases and disorders, I would like to someday find a cure for psoriasis and some of the other currently incurable immunity conditions.

Hello! My name is Vedha Viddam. I was born in New Jersey and moved to Pennsylvania when I was 3 years old. I am currently a senior at Downingtown East High School. I love music, but I don’t have a specific favorite. Also, I play the piano, sing, and dance. I recently won 1st place in a Bollywood National Dance competition called TANA. I also love sports and play Volleyball and learn Martial Arts. I am fluent in English and Telugu and semi-fluent in Spanish. I also love to watch movies, especially action and horror genre ones.

Also, I want to pursue a career in immunology and go into research. I discovered my interest in Immunology four years ago, in my ninth grade biology class when we were learning about viruses and diseases. I became fascinated with the way viruses inject their DNA into cells and how there are triggers for the virus replication to start in cells. I was also interested in learning about how these pathogens and viruses affect the body. I eventually began researching numerous diseases and disorders and learned the causes of them.

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