The Next Stop on My TRIP by Claire Jang

Hello, everyone! I can’t believe over a month has passed since the program began. I have had a blast these past few weeks, learning how to conduct various behavioral assays and lab techniques through my kickoff experiment. I investigated whether circadian rhythms affected female fertility by encasing my flies in foil to simulate total darkness and adding Rhodiola, a stress-alleviating herb, to their food. My results indicated that while Red Clover and a high sugar diet individually increased female fertility, usage of both decreased fertility in comparison to my control vial. 

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For my independent project, I decided to investigate whether a high fiber diet could mitigate the transgenerational effects of PFO. I selected this topic because PFO was a type of long-lasting "forever" chemical frequently used in consumer products around the world since the 1950s. Although the chemical is now under stricter regulations, due to the chemical’s use and longevity, there is widespread contamination in the world's water, soil, and food resources. Scientific studies have shown that all humans have nearly universal exposure to this chemical. If under prolonged or hefty exposure, PFAS levels can take decades to return to baseline. Inside the body, it may reduce fertility, contribute to hypertension, cause developmental delays in children, increase the risk of cancer, and lower immune system function. I wanted to see whether pollution would carry generational consequences for our offspring and if a high fiber diet could help alleviate some of these issues.

Finally, I would like to end this update by expressing my thanks to Dr. Austria, Dr. Valdes, Dr. Maskalenko, our TAs, and my peers. I am incredibly grateful for all their support over the past month. I look forward to starting my kickoff experiment next week!