From Fruit Flies to Food Additives: My TRIP So Far by Simran Kamal-Bahl

Hello! I can’t believe how quickly the first few weeks of TRIP’26@WTHS have gone by! After participating in Summer TRIP last year, it has been so rewarding to return to the lab with more confidence and independence. For my kickoff experiment, I investigated how a high-sugar diet affects female fertility in fruit flies and whether fenugreek could provide a protective effect. I used the female fertility assay, which measures two outcomes: oogenesis (the number of embryos laid per female) and embryogenesis (the percent of embryos that hatch). In this assay, the main materials we used were grape plates that we prepared ourselves, yeast paste, and collection cages. We transferred the flies, incubated them for an hour, and counted the embryos. Then we incubated them for two days and froze them to count the hatched embryos (shoutout to Dr. Austria, who did this for us since it was outside the TRIP session time!). My hypothesis that fenugreek would counteract the negative effects of a high sugar diet was partially supported. Overall, this experiment was a really cool way to explore how different aspects of diet can directly impact development and reproductive health. 

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Beyond the lab techniques, I really appreciate the collaborative energy of TRIP. After we finished our kickoff experiment, we presented our experiments to the class and our instructors. After our presentations, receiving the thoughtful, constructive feedback from our teachers has helped me think more critically about experimental design and refine my research communication. I have also really enjoyed working with my peers and making new friends. TRIP creates a great balance between collaboration, mentorship, and independent work. This environment gives everyone room to make mistakes, but also grow and learn from them. So far, we have built a strong foundation in lab skills, experimental planning, and data analysis, so I feel well prepared to start my independent project. 

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For my independent project, I want to build on my interest in nutrition and reducing ultra-processed food intake. I am specifically interested in studying how a common additive, the emulsifier Polysorbate-80 (Tween 80), affects health. This additive is often found in foods such as ice cream, coffee creamers, salad dressings, and sauces to improve texture and shelf life. It’s a hidden ingredient that many of us consume without realizing it. My research question asks: How does a high sugar diet combined with Polysorbate-80 affect gut health and female fertility in fruit flies? I am especially interested in whether combining sugar with the emulsifier, which more closely simulates common ultra-processed foods, causes more harm than each factor alone. I want to study the direct and long-term effects of the gut microbiome on fertility and development. Through this, I hope to improve our understanding of how our everyday food choices could have negative biological consequences. I am so excited to start my experiment next week and see where this research takes me! 

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