So far into my TRIP! By Jenan Hazazi

Welcome back readers! Since the last time I wrote, I have conducted an introductory experiment, regarding the effects of head trauma and Ginkgo Biloba on the drosophilas’ moods, as well as presented my findings and procedures to my fellow TRIP peers. Might I add that within the past few weeks, I have grown very fond of these people, and I look forward to coming together with these brilliant, passionate, like-minded people every week.    

ImageJ software

​Going back to the introductory experiments, prior to any of it, I had seen flies as creatures who merely had the purpose of surviving, flying around disposed items, and buzzing. To say that my way of thought has changed is an understatement. Now I can’t help but see them as fascinating creatures that resemble the human body and all of its complex functions. We have learned so much about our physiology through these tiny creatures, things we wouldn’t have thought been possible to study. As we conducted our introductory experiments, I became more and more proficient in sorting flies, learning to set up assays, understanding not only the procedure itself, but also the reason behind each step, and how to collect and analyze data using a new software (ImageJ). Now, I have an endless sense of gratitude, rather than distaste, for these flies. 

After we had concluded our introductory experiments, we finally reached the point in this research internship in which we would conduct our own, independent projects from start to finish.  At first, I had wanted to test the flies’ memory by training them using their color perception and a mazy assay, but strayed away as my head continued to flood with all the possibilities of the independent projects I could do. I had hit a plateau. None of the experiments I had conjured up resonated with me or my day-to-day encounters that I had with friends and family. I had really hit a full stop. That is until one night I had stayed up a little late, to sort through the jumbles of ideas I had, made myself a cup of hot cocoa, and became aware of my family’s stash of tea next to it.  Though there had been an assortment of teas, one caught my eye specifically, weight loss tea. This opened a whole new pathway of experimental opportunities, all  of which I had started to resonate with. Weight Loss. 

In a world in which obesity has become more and more prominent, a world in which body shaming has sadly become a norm, it's safe to say that we all know a person, or two, or three, who wished to lose weight. Even on social media, this is a continuous discussion and we continuously find ourselves tangled up in ‘lifestyle’ influencers using our insecurities against us and selling us these weight loss teas that they claim work so effectively to ‘burn off fat.’ Is weight loss teas really the best way to go in terms of weight loss and side effects though? I had remembered drinking that tea for a week, and the nausea and the obstructed bowel movement I had experienced has kept me far away from it since. 

That has now led me to my question, is saffron tea or turmeric tea, two herbal alternatives, a better alternative than weight loss teas regarding their effects on weight loss and side effects? I have set up my experiment this past Saturday and I look forward to continuing my research on this in the upcoming weeks. I’m beyond excited to see what conclusions the results will take me to, but until then, goodbye for now readers. ​