What a TRIP! by Nozima Sultonova

 As I write this blog, I am already feeling the nostalgia of sorting flies while chatting on a Saturday morning. Often, we would forget the number we were on while counting, so we would have to redo it again. When I joined TRIP, I did not realize how much joy this program would bring me. I truly cherish the times I got to share my ideas and thoughts with my TRIP-mates. It is officially over, but I would love to come back to help out in the future. 

Not only did I build new friendships, but I also learned many aspects of science along the way. Prior to this program, I had not been in a lab before, so I was very curious about the basics of using lab equipment. Although I had difficulty getting used to new concepts in the beginning, I appreciate the outcome that it brought me. By the end of my experiment, I was an expert in my topic and I was excited to share my research with others. I remember when I applied to this program, I had emphasized the importance of scientists sharing their knowledge. TRIP provided me with that exact opportunity and I’m proud to say I have reached that goal. 

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For my independent project, I studied the effects of ginger on cognitive function, specifically our ability to think and retain information

For my independent project, I studied the effects of ginger on cognitive function, specifically our ability to think and retain information. The best way to analyze the functions of the  intangible brain was to use the characteristics of memory. Flies are similar to humans in terms of genome and skills. They’re able to learn, store, and apply information for the benefits of survival. First, I counted out 10 larvae from each experimental condition. The reasonI used larvae was because they are heavily food motivated which was essential for my experiment. The assay requires the larvae to search for food scents and associate between different kinds of scents to find the correct one. There are only two scents, one is the banana scent which represents reward because they will be given sugar when they are in the banana scented plates. On the other hand, the “bad” scent is the pineapple scent which will not include sugar. They will be trained in each type of environment for  a total of 15 minutes each. The training involves transferring the larvae back and forth between each plate. ​

Then, they will be put into a testing plate and timed for a minimum of 5 minutes. However, this time may not be enough for them to fully recognize the scents, so you would have to analyze their movements on a time lapse before making a solid conclusion. At the end, I saw distinct differences between the ginger and the stressor (benadryl) in the associative learning of flies. ​

The end of TRIP was memorable and I have learned life and lab skills. My appreciation goes towards my wonderful instructors and teachers; Dr. Leystra Dr. Purdy, Dr. Valdes, and Mr. Cozzone who all helped me figure out my path and guided me through the process. With the knowledge that I obtained in this program, I hope to use it for future studies and research opportunities. I’m already thinking of new ideas to experiment with. This time, I’ve got a better sense of how to conduct it.  ​