Session 1B: The Effects of Phenol on Locomotor Behavior and Aging on Drosophila melanogaster
Session Number
Session 1B: 1st Presentation
Advisor(s)
Dr. Vandana Chinwalla, IMSA
Location
Lecture Hall
Start Date
26-4-2018 9:40 AM
End Date
26-4-2018 10:25 AM
Abstract
In today’s world, there is a constant threat of environmental pollutants, which negatively affect the daily lives of humans. One of these known pollutants is phenol, found commonly in low concentrations in consumer products such as mouthwash, lotions, and ointments. Phenol has been found to accelerate senescence and decrease lifespan when introduced during early development. This study utilized Drosophila melanogaster, wild-type fruit fly, as a model organism to assess the effects of 0.1% phenol relative to a control group raised on water media. Through assays such as negative geotaxis, and longevity, the instinctual locomotor behavior and lifespan of fruit flies were assessed as they aged. Running a mixed- effects model analysis with treatment and sex as the fixed effects and weeks as the random effect confirmed that there was a significant difference between flies raised on the phenol medium versus the control group (p< 0.05). Further research will be performed to counteract the aforementioned negative effects through the introduction of antioxidants or anti-inflammatory substances, such as cranberry extract or curcumin, into the diet of the phenol-exposed flies.
Session 1B: The Effects of Phenol on Locomotor Behavior and Aging on Drosophila melanogaster
Lecture Hall
In today’s world, there is a constant threat of environmental pollutants, which negatively affect the daily lives of humans. One of these known pollutants is phenol, found commonly in low concentrations in consumer products such as mouthwash, lotions, and ointments. Phenol has been found to accelerate senescence and decrease lifespan when introduced during early development. This study utilized Drosophila melanogaster, wild-type fruit fly, as a model organism to assess the effects of 0.1% phenol relative to a control group raised on water media. Through assays such as negative geotaxis, and longevity, the instinctual locomotor behavior and lifespan of fruit flies were assessed as they aged. Running a mixed- effects model analysis with treatment and sex as the fixed effects and weeks as the random effect confirmed that there was a significant difference between flies raised on the phenol medium versus the control group (p< 0.05). Further research will be performed to counteract the aforementioned negative effects through the introduction of antioxidants or anti-inflammatory substances, such as cranberry extract or curcumin, into the diet of the phenol-exposed flies.