Fruit Fly Fun

Hello! My name is Saket Gokhale, and I’m a rising junior at Methacton High School. Some of my favorite things to do are play tennis, watch sports, and watch action films. I have a fervent interest in the sciences and hope to pursue a career in medicine!

My TRIP experience is one that cannot be replicated. I never thought that I would be working with fruit flies, especially since I try to kill flies when they come in the house. However, I understand the importance fruit flies serve to the scientific community due to their surprising similarities to humans. We spent our first few sessions exploring techniques such as sorting, transferring, and making fly food and grape plates. For my first screen, I investigated the effect of fenugreek and head trauma on the activity of the fly. I inflicted head trauma using the apparatus and then conducted the negative geotaxis assay, which I thought was an innovative way to gauge activity. I found that the drug and the head trauma balance each other out in terms of fly mobility.

For my independent project, I wanted to look into the effects of supplements that could help alleviate the symptoms of diabetes since my family has a history of this disorder. I am researching the effects of natural ingredients on the glucose levels of the fruit fly. First, I’m exposing the flies to regular and high sugar food. Then I am splitting these two groups into five: regular food, sugary food, food with fenugreek, food with cinnamon, and food with turmeric. This way, I can also assess any short term and long term changes with exposure to the different types of food. I’m using the glucose assay as a measurement procedure. I’m looking forward to know the results! Throughout the process, I have received tremendous help and guidance. Thanks to the amazing mentors and helpers who made this journey a valuable learning experience to cherish! 

Author: Saket Gokhale