Flying Through My First Weeks at TRIP! by Diya Parekh

The first half of TRIP has flown by (pun intended)! I have learned so much about the research process and how to collect and present data over the past five weeks, and now I finally get to put my skills to the test. With some time and careful consideration, I have been able to craft my own experimental question and design.

How does licorice root extract consumption affect the health of developing individuals? Are larvae whose mothers consumed licorice less mobile?...

In my AP Psychology class, we were learning about development– specifically substances that could harm unborn babies, called teratogens. While drugs, tobacco, and alcohol are the obvious teratogens that come to mind, a particular substance fascinated me the most: licorice. After conducting some more research, I found out that mothers who consume a large amount of licorice while pregnant had children with health complications. This led me to decide my experimental question: “How does licorice root extract consumption affect the health of developing individuals? Are larvae whose mothers consumed licorice less mobile?” Through testing this with several doses of licorice, I hope to find out if licorice really does have detrimental effects on the health of the offspring of fruit flies.     

Going through the experimental design process for my own project has definitely been a struggle at times, but a fun challenge to work through. The hardest part for me so far has been doing all of the drug calculations– especially working through all of the impossibly tiny numbers! Luckily, talking through the math with Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra has been extremely helpful. I am also getting great time management skills through figuring out how much time I need to spend on each task and if I’m setting myself up to do too much or not enough. ​

I have had an amazing time at TRIP so far, and I am looking forward to moving on to the second half with all of my new friends, lovely TAs, and amazing instructors!