Blog 3 by Caroline Moritz

With exciting turns, independent projects, spilling Red 40 all over the floor, and our symposium presentations, it is safe to say that I am officially a member of the TRIP@WTHS24’ class. These past few months have been filled with a variety of different fun challenges, and I couldn’t be more excited to share them with you! 

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in the mysteries of the world. It’s one of the reasons I believe I’m so compelled by everything science

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in the mysteries of the world. It’s one of the reasons I believe I’m so compelled by everything science, especially the research portion of creating an experiment and incorporating it into something meaningful. For my independent project, I focused on the effects of Red 40 on hyperactivity, and whether or not it could be counteracted by the natural supplement licorice. One of the most important aspects of designing my question, and molding it into a project I would be proud to present, was making it meaningful. To the audience, to myself, and to the fruit flies…especially to the fruit flies. Red 40 is a synthetic food dye, and contains benzene, which is a natural cancer causing substance. It is in so many of the foods we consume on a daily basis, and many do not know the harmful properties it contains. With that in mind, I had found my meaning for this project. Red 40 was proven to be dangerous, but could it be counteracted with a natural supplement over time? ​

Red 40, as expected, caused a large increase in the hyperactivity in flies tested. Licorice, as the natural supplement used to counteract the food dye, also did its job. I found that while there was still an increased percentage of hyperactivity in the Red 40 + licorice vial, it was severely diminished in comparison to the Red 40 vial by itself. 

---

Throughout these past few months, data wasn’t the only thing I collected. I collected the communicative skills to speak to my peers and my instructors efficiently. I collected presentation skills that I will be able to use in future projects. I collected the information and knowledge of being a researcher in a lab, and the responsibilities and challenges that come with it. My experience at TRIP has been one that has been full of fun adventures, and I am bittersweet to say that it has come to an end. The amazing people I collaborated with every Saturday, and the instructors that were always attentive and willing to help in any way they could, showed me that you can still have an amazing time while completing work efficiently. Thank you to Dr. Leystra, Dr. Purdy, Austin and Anoosha, and my peers for making this experience worthwhile!!