Halfway through TRIP: An Update! by Dakshvir Salaria

I’ve had an exciting first few weeks in TRIP so far, I’ve had an amazing experience getting introduced to lab work and learning about research techniques. One of the most exciting things so far is becoming best friends with fruit flies, and wondering how such a tiny little insect can provide so much insight about biology and complex processes. I will admit at first, I was pretty nervous, and a little intimidated to work with them, but overtime I’ve grown to really like them and their use as a model organism. I’ve also really enjoyed learning about new things, like assays and techniques, asking questions to my instructors, and most importantly making mistakes and learning from them. Beyond the science part of TRIP, I’ve met many other students who are just as passionate and motivated like me, and it’s been great getting to know other people who share similar interests in biology and research.

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For my independent project, I’m interested in studying how environmental stress affects protective pigmentation responses. My research question is about how UV radiation during development could potentially influence melanization in fruit flies, and whether Vitamin E, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance, could help potentially mitigate the damage. UV radiation is a huge environmental stressor that causes oxidative damage and pigmentation changes in humans, which are super important things in dermatology and skin health. I think because there’s so many stress pathways that get conserved between different species, studying these processes in fruit flies can definitely help us understand how organisms respond to environmental damage, and how protective mechanisms work. 

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Overall, my first weeks in TRIP have been nothing other than fun, and I’m excited to continue developing and executing my project, learning even more new skills, and building stronger friendships with my peers!