The End Of TRIP Starts A New Beginning! by Jessie Jin

I can’t believe we are at the end. The past few months in the lab just flew by! The TRIP experience has made me more excited about science and working in the lab! 

As mentioned in my previous blog post, for my independent project, I investigated the effect of CoQ10 and red yeast rice (two supplements taken to promote heart health) on overall health. To determine if the flies were healthy, I measured fly motility using the negative geotaxis assay and collected pupal developmental data. I was surprised to find that red yeast rice actually decreases fly motility and decreases % eclosion, inhibiting pupal development. Perhaps red yeast rice has side effects similar to statins and should be taken with caution.

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Overall, TRIP has been such a rewarding experience! I learned how to be resilient and persevere through difficulty. Besides working in the lab, I learned how to bring scientific research to life by telling a compelling story. Although I will definitely miss going to the TRIP lab every Saturday afternoon, I am excited to apply the knowledge and skills I gained to tackle new scientific problems in the future. Lastly, thank you to Dr. Purdy, Dr. Leystra, TAs Austin, Keith, and Jenan, and my TRIP classmates for this incredible experience!