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Regular updates from students in TRIP

Sleepy Flies and Pre-Workout by David Benjamin

9/1/2022

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The first few weeks of TRIP have flown by, and I am glad to say that I have enjoyed them thoroughly. I felt like a true scientist while diluting drugs with micropipettes, sorting unconscious flies with paintbrushes, and creating grape plates with Juicy Juice. There were certainly moments when I stepped out of my comfort zone and felt unsure about my abilities; many of the processes in the lab are new to me. However, the collaborative environment created by the staff and students ensures that I always receive the support I need. I feel like there is always someone to provide an answer when I have a question. Plus, all the friends that I have made at TRIP are super cool and make even the most mundane tasks (such as creating labels for vials) more enjoyable.
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Before jumping into our independent project, my TRIP friends and I each performed an introductory experiment to get us comfortable with the lab. My introductory experiment sought to determine whether a disrupted circadian rhythm and/or a dose of St. John’s Wort (an herbal medicine supposed to treat mild depression) had an impact on fly mood. I found this project super engaging for several reasons. For one, I was genuinely interested in the question, since I often experience brain fog or anxiety when I go to sleep at a weird time. Additionally, learning how to knock out and sort flies was unexpectedly fun and satisfying. I did feel bad dumping the flies into the “Fly Morgue” at the end of the experiment, however.

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Then, before I knew it, it was time to start brainstorming for my independent project! At first, I had no clue what I wanted to study. However, after sitting down and thinking about my hobbies and habits, I decided that I wanted to study the effectiveness of the common pre-workout ingredient L-Citrulline on providing energy to sleep deprived flies. As someone who exercises often, whether it be lifting with my friends or (preferably not) running for a sport, I hear a lot about fitness supplements. One particularly popular supplement is pre-workout, which I sometimes take for an energy boost when I am tired. However, pre-workout powders often contain upwards of 10 or 15 ingredients, which made me wonder whether these ingredients were necessary for providing energy - or if one would be better off saving money and drinking coffee! L-Citrulline in particular is a supplement that claims to provide energy and is common in many pre-workout mixes yet has little research supporting its effectiveness. After completing copious (though definitely necessary) worksheets and exercises in preparation for my independent project, I am very excited to begin working on it.
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  • Home
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • ALUMNI GALLERY
    • Ursinus 2015
    • Temple 2015
    • WTHS 2016
    • Temple 2016
    • WTHS 2017
    • Temple 2017
    • WTHS 2018
    • Temple 2018
    • WTHS 2019
    • Temple 2019
    • WTHS 2020
    • WTHS 2021
    • Temple 2021
    • WTHS 2022
    • Temple 2022
  • Apply to TRIP
  • Donate