We had our first major donation drive in December where we were able to donate over 30 crochet hats and $250 worth of toys to children in Nemours’ pediatric oncology unit! Outside of school, I love spending my free time volunteering with my local ambulance corps (where I assist with basic life support on 911 calls) and volunteering at my local hospital (where I gain first-hand exposure to the medical field). I am also the youth volunteer coordinator in a nonprofit called Volunteering For Seniors where I bring together young volunteers to help conduct yoga, Zumba, and other fun events to engage with active senior citizens in my community. Additionally, one of my especially favorite activities that always keeps me engaged is fostering dogs. Over five years, my family has fostered and found homes for over 20 dogs and puppies, bringing fulfillment and a bunch of chewed-up shoes and pillows into our lives. Something else I love to do is travel. Since I was four months old, I have vacationed in eight different countries- the most recent of which was a cruise to Mexico- and I enjoy exploring new cultures and food. One of my longest hobbies also includes Bharatanatyam Dance, a form of Indian classical dance I have been learning for almost eleven years. I love Bharatanatyam because it allows me to connect with my cultural roots and express myself through the art of dance. Finally, whenever I have a spare moment to relax, you can find me either crocheting or reading away, with my favorites including anything and everything by Malcolm Gladwell and Frank Herbert (Blink and DUNE most of all). I joined TRIP because I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine, research, or- ideally- a combination of both. For our first day of TRIP, we became extremely familiar with micropipetting and mixing together the perfect concoction of drugs plus fly food. My kickoff research question for TRIP is “Do circadian rhythms affect fly fertility?” I will spend the next few weeks researching more about this question. I had so much fun meeting and learning more about everyone in TRIP. I can’t wait for the next TRIP session, and I am so grateful for this opportunity! Until next time -Shloka
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Hi everyone, my name is Amritha Sakamuri and I am so excited to be a part of TRIP @ WTHS ‘24!! I am a current sophomore at Central Bucks South High School in Warrington, PA. I applied to TRIP because I wanted to further my knowledge in hypothesis-driven research and learn how to better explain the rationale behind my findings. I am hoping to pursue a career in the medical field, and through TRIP I am able to learn about several different career pathways in medicine and gain hands-on research experience. In school, I am involved in several clubs and activities. I am the president and co-founder of our school’s DECA chapter. Some of my specific tasks are to make sure we are up to date with all of our clearances and research how I can improve my chapter. I am a student representative in our student council, and I was the assistant editor-in-chief of our freshmen paper. Outside of school, I participate in a variety of activities including sports, music, and volunteering. I am a U.S. Figure Skating pre-silver medalist in moves in the field, and I have competed in synchronized skating events for 6 years! I am able to keep in touch with my culture through Carnatic singing. I am a Griffin College of London Level 1 Carnatic vocalist, and I am a youth leader for SEWA International, a nonprofit service organization. This past Saturday, we had our first in-lab TRIP session! From just one session I learned how to use a micropipette, calculate solutions and dilutions, make fly food, and learned how to adjust fly food to reflect certain dietary and environmental stressors. This past Saturday, we had our first in-lab TRIP session! From just one session I learned how to use a micropipette, calculate solutions and dilutions, make fly food, and learned how to adjust fly food to reflect certain dietary and environmental stressors. For my kickoff experiment, I am testing how Red Clover and high-sugar diets affect female fertility. In the following weeks, I will be testing how the fruit flies react to my four different vials of food (constant, drug only, stressor only, both stressor and drug). We were even able to take home a vial of about 25 fruit flies to observe daily. Best pet ever! I am so excited for what is to come in my TRIP with all of you and to be a part of the TRIP community! I am so excited for what is to come in my TRIP with all of you and to be a part of the TRIP community!
Hi, my name is Rowan Chetty and I am a sophomore at Conestoga High School. I am excited to join the TRIP community to learn about how our environment and different foods can affect our health by using fruit flies. I am particularly excited to gain more laboratory experience by using new equipment and learning new techniques. At school, I am involved in a variety of clubs and extracurriculars. I have competed in science fair competitions since 5th grade having fun coming up with my own experiments to answer any questions that I had. I enjoy doing research and trying to figure out different ways to find solutions. I especially enjoy presenting my research in competitions. I also coach the middle school Science Olympiad team, providing them with advice and resources on how to participate in the competition. I love helping the students to spark an interest in science from a young age. Outside of the classroom, I write for my school newspaper, The Spoke. I cover community events, local news, and student features. Alongside writing, as the Co-Multimedia Editor, I edit and manage our broadcast section and help reporters make news video packages. As a member of the cross country and track team at my school I have participated in several meets. Last November I ran the Philly half marathon with some of my teammates achieving the goal that I set. I also enjoyed running the 10-mile Broad Street run with my parents, (though I was significantly faster than them both). Running helps me to destress, socialize, and enjoy the fresh air. I joined TRIP because I really enjoyed my AP Biology class last year and I wanted to learn more about how diseases and environmental conditions can affect health. In the future, I hope to work in a laboratory environment where I can help learn more about diseases to develop new medicines.
Within and out of the school, I participate in many activities that nurture my interests in STEM. I am the president and founder of our medical club named MedEx, where I get to share my passion with many other students! Through this club, I run our school’s HOSA chapter and help my members prepare for the upcoming competition at the state conference in March. With the support of my team and the school administration, we were successful in showcasing our school’s interest in medicine, which has resulted in the official incorporation of an Anatomy class in our school curriculum this year. I am also part of GVTutors, Science Olympiad, and Chem Olympiad. I volunteer my time at the UPenn Radnor Hospital Program, by shadowing activities in different medical departments, such as radiology and dermatology. I also enjoy working with friends and classmates in the gardening club, of which I am an officer. Our club grows plants such as sunflowers, peppers, and tulips in a garden allocated by the school. I feel that every moment I spend interacting with others develops me further as a human being. I enjoy meeting new people. I also like traveling to locations that reflect people’s dedication to what they love. One such trip was to the Bayern Munich stadium in Germany which was built as a home to one of the most successful “football” teams in the world. TRIP can teach us a unique skill that no traditional school can: how to run research. The hands-on experience at TRIP will not just improve my knowledge but also develop my skills in the process of scientific discovery. This program particularly stands out for me because it will give me the opportunity to explore research possibilities in pharmaceuticals. The first day in the lab went by too fast! Everyone here is so cool, and the instructors are so supportive! I am starting my research on the effect of Vitamin D3 and head trauma on fruit fly motility. My chemistry experience proved useful in calculating dilutions to get the proper concentration of Vitamin D3. Micropipetting made me feel like a professional, and I can’t wait to continue experiments next week!
Hi everyone! My name is Tanzeela and I am a senior at William Tennent High School. I am super excited for the upcoming weeks of getting to know everyone while learning more about the realm of scientific research! In school, I am an active participant in many clubs and activities such as the National Science Honor Society, Key Club, and the Muslim Student Association, which I founded back in my sophomore year and am now the President of. One of my most meaningful projects with the MSA was in my junior year where we created a donation drive for victims of the earthquake that struck Turkey. We had a very short time frame to plan and collect items, but within three days our community joined together and supplied numerous boxes of jackets, hand warmers, and first aid essentials. It was amazing to see the involvement and success of this donation drive, and to know that it had an impact on many lives. Aside from academics, I have several hobbies that fill up my time. One of my favorites is acrylic painting and Arabic calligraphy! I have always been a crafty person, but I took on calligraphy and painting about four years ago. Since then, I have created social media and Etsy pages to showcase and sell my artwork! Alongside art, I enjoy being outdoors, playing tennis, and spending time with my family and friends. This past summer, I participated in a Hepatitis B research internship where I was introduced to the world of biotechnology research. I learned that a career in research demands creativity in formulating hypotheses and designing experiments, attention to detail, and organization- qualities that I always associated with my artistic pursuits. This internship served as a gateway to the field of biomedical research, but I joined TRIP to be able to truly solidify my passion for this career path. TRIP offers me the opportunity to connect the practical applications of science to the biological foundations taught throughout my courses while gaining hands-on lab experience and creating and conducting my own experiment. This past Saturday was the first day in the lab, and there was already so much I learned! I got the chance to get to know everyone through the fun icebreaker, practice my micropipetting skills, and learn how to create food for our fruit flies. For our Kickoff Experiment, I am testing the effects of Fenugreek and a high-sugar diet on female fertility. I chose this experimental question particularly because Fenugreek is a staple ingredient in my Indian household and I wanted to see the health benefits it holds. I am extremely grateful and excited to embark on this journey with TRIP, and to see where these next few weeks take me!
Hello everyone! My name is Victoria Li and I’m a sophomore at Garnet Valley High School. My love for science started in my elementary school classrooms. As I grew older, the increasingly complex scientific ideas and explanations I was being introduced to drew me closer to the subject. However, I did feel an absence of one thing: the feeling of true research. Although I did do experiments within my science classes, they were always ones that had been done several times before me, and I could find the results of them with a few clicks on a computer. In my biology class in 9th grade, however, my end-of-year assessment was an independent research project. I was able to conduct an experiment based on my curiosities and derive results that hadn’t been done hundreds of times before, and I loved the feeling of discovery I felt. Through TRIP, I hope to not only gain insight into more advanced research but also feel the sense of discovery and fulfillment I felt with my independent research project.
Outside of school, I run an animal welfare non-profit. My passion for this cause started when I was 3 through my love for the little dog that lived across the street from me, and has only been amplified through the years. I also spend my Friday nights volunteering at my local animal shelter, Rags2Riches. Seeing the animals who have gone through the most cruel conditions start and take on the journey of healing and trust has not only deepened my devotion to the cause but also inspired me in my personal life. I also teach K-5th graders mathematics for the Delaware Chester Community School on Sundays, and it is such a rewarding and fun experience. On Day 1 of TRIP, I’ve already partaken in new experiences through learning about serial dilution, micro pipetting, and creating fly food for my kickoff experiment! Inspired by the concussion I got from a bus window last year, my kickoff experiment is going to test the effects of head trauma and Rhodiola on anxiety. Rhodiola (a type of plant) root powder is believed to help with stress, something that has strong effects on anxiety. On top of this, I have taken home a vial containing approximately 30 new pets! As fruit flies do reproduce quite quickly, I’m expecting to have several more in the coming week. Although I’ve only had one day in the TRIP lab, I am ecstatic to create bonds with my TRIP family while continuing my exploration in the field of science.
With the conclusion of my three-month adventure inside the TRIP lab imminent, I can’t help but be amazed by the amazing things my fellow TRIP researchers and I have accomplished alongside Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra. Throughout these last three months, TRIP has been an invaluable experience that has allowed me to take the first step into my future profession. My independent project focused on exploring the cognitive impacts of overdoses of addictive amphetamines like Adderall. I wanted to explore how these stimulants affect cognitive function and if they have any long-term impacts on the brain. To investigate this, I used the Larval Memory Assay. As I conducted my experiments, I discovered countless unexpected challenges that came along with researching this topic. The process was tedious (especially training all the flies), and at times it felt like I was never going to get accurate results. However, I was determined to see it through to the end and obtain some real results.Through it all, I learned a lot about the scientific method, data analysis, as well as collaboration. I also developed a better understanding of the ethical implications of researching drugs and the responsibility that comes with conducting studies dealing with addictive substances. Although my journey in the TRIP lab is coming to an end, the knowledge and experiences during TRIP will stay with me for a lifetime. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have explored such an important and interesting topic and for the guidance and support of Dr. Leystra, Dr. Purdy, and my fellow researchers.After all is said and done, my TRIP has been an experience like no other and I will cherish the times I spent in the lab for the rest of my life!
I can’t believe we are at the end. The past few months in the lab just flew by! The TRIP experience has made me more excited about science and working in the lab! As mentioned in my previous blog post, for my independent project, I investigated the effect of CoQ10 and red yeast rice (two supplements taken to promote heart health) on overall health. To determine if the flies were healthy, I measured fly motility using the negative geotaxis assay and collected pupal developmental data. I was surprised to find that red yeast rice actually decreases fly motility and decreases % eclosion, inhibiting pupal development. Perhaps red yeast rice has side effects similar to statins and should be taken with caution. Overall, TRIP has been such a rewarding experience! I learned how to be resilient and persevere through difficulty. Besides working in the lab, I learned how to bring scientific research to life by telling a compelling story. Although I will definitely miss going to the TRIP lab every Saturday afternoon, I am excited to apply the knowledge and skills I gained to tackle new scientific problems in the future. Lastly, thank you to Dr. Purdy, Dr. Leystra, TAs Austin, Keith, and Jenan, and my TRIP classmates for this incredible experience!
The end is near! With six weeks down and six more days to go until the symposium, it’s unbelievable that my TRIP journey is coming to an end. Before the program, I barely knew the difference between a fruit fly and a house fly, and now, I’ve gotten comfortable enough to sort over 1,000 flies and perform various assays successfully! When we last spoke, I intended to investigate whether glyphosate could have long-term effects on the health and female fertility of future generations. Little has changed since then, however, I decided to conduct the larval motility assay in addition to the female fertility. To do so, I set up four vials for each replicate. The first one served as the control, the second was contaminated with glyphosate, the third contained turmeric, and the fourth had a mixture of both drugs. Throughout the six weeks, I collected several metrics such as development, overall health, and fertility. For each replicate set up, the larval motility assay was performed on day seven. This assay looked at the impact of glyphosate and turmeric on 3rd instar larva. Additionally, female fertility for the P1 (Parent) Generation was recorded on the same day. Although a lengthy protocol to carry out, it refined my microscope skills in order to count the unhatched versus hatched embryos! The following week, I performed the female fertility assay again, only this time, I did it on the F1 (Offspring) Generation to determine any long-term effects. What I found was quite shocking. The adult flies who had been transferred to this new environment saw slight to no improvements in female fertility. However, their offspring saw a significant decrease in fertility, with these flies producing a quarter of embryos as compared to their parents. Furthermore, the larva’s overall health declined as compared to the control when exposed to glyphosate. Turmeric was not able to counter these effects, and in fact, the combination of both the pesticide and natural spice made matters worse in regards to offspring fertility. In a broader scope, these results indicate and confirm my previous suspicions. Exposure to pesticides doesn’t seem to have an effect on female fertility, if the person hasn’t grown up on it. However, the future generations seem to be impacted the most, and natural supplementation doesn’t seem to negate those effects. But ultimately, I’ve come to the conclusion that although this journey is coming to an end, another begins! TRIP has not only equipped me with new lab skills but also the ability to collaborate with others and challenge myself. I’ve learned so much more than what I had anticipated, and I couldn’t have done it without our instructors, the TAs, and my labmates. I hope to continue finding the intersections between my passions and using science as a means to further explore them. Thank you for coming along the ride, and I can’t wait to see where my next TRIP is!
Hello there, I’m glad you found me a third time! It’s sad to say this will be my final blog post, although I would like to take this as a moment to reflect on everything that I’ve learned. Although it may have only been a few weeks since I last wrote, it feels like it’s only been a few days. Despite all of the time-consuming fly sorting and assay performing, this experience ended all too quickly. Since the last time I wrote, I started my independent research project, worked on conducting research in the lab, and compiled all of my results into a massive spreadsheet. As a reminder, I tested different doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common food-additive prevalent in a vast variety of foods including my favorite Chick-fil-A sandwiches and Doritos. My family has cautioned against eating foods with MSG for much of my life because of its alleged effects on health. I put these claims to the test by observing MSG’s effects on development, which also extended to fertility in male and female fruit flies. I systematically set up my four fruit fly vials, each with varying amounts of MSG in their food. I extrapolated the amount of food that a typical human would consume down to a fruit fly, with the help of Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra. Varying the dosage of MSG would allow me to see an accurate representation of how different doses may cause different results. I put those flies to the test by carefully monitoring their development from the vials, counting how many offspring each condition had every week. I also executed the female and male fertility assays in order to see how each vial’s flies have been reacting in regard to their fertility. The female fertility assay, a three-hour-long process of throwing a bunch of your fruit flies into a tube and seeing how many embryos appear, sought to detect if a correlation existed between the dose of MSG and the number of embryos. This otherwise tedious chore certainly seemed quicker and more fun with the support of a few of my peers completing similar tasks. Somehow, this on-the-surface repetitive errand did not bore me; rather, it excited and motivated me to work further toward my looming goal: completing the experiment and drawing conclusions. The slightly less time-consuming activity of the male fertility assay consisted of placing individual males into vials with a few females. After a week or two, the vials whose males successfully mated and produced offspring were considered fertile. Fortunately for tasty food enjoyers, I found no apparent correlation between the MSG dose and fertility, at least in fruit flies. I have also concluded that fruit flies given high doses of MSG produced, more or less, the same number of offspring as organisms receiving no MSG. From my brief yet formative time spent in the lab, I have gained a plethora of valuable skills such as working with laboratory equipment like micropipettes and sorting fruit flies on CO2 pads. In addition to the physical skills, I have also earned unparalleled skills working with my peers and I must thank them for their continued support in helping me throughout the entire program. And, I have proved, scientifically, that MSG has no obvious bearing on health. TRIP has been a rewarding experience from undivided meetings with professionals to hands-on actions in working with real fruit flies and conducting true experiments. I plan on using these skills sometime in the future and will never forget the invaluable aptitudes that I have acquired throughout the course of this program. I am immensely grateful for Dr. Purdy, Dr. Leystra, all of my TRIPmates, my parents and carpool for driving, and all of those who made this fantastic experience possible. One more thing—I started a challenge to wear a different hoodie for every single week of TRIP. I have done so as planned, although it may have been tougher near the end! Lastly, I would like to thank you, reader, for reading my blog. I am excited to see where this experience will lead me in the future!
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