Discipline: Ecology Environmental and Earth Sciences
Subcategory: Physiology and Health
Session: 4
Room: Park Tower 8206
Wesley Agee - Harris-Stowe State University
Co-Author(s): Dr. Sandra Leal
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive used in many commercial products which have become staples of the American diet. Examples of popular products include those marketed by Frito Lay and the Campbell’s Soup Company. We raise a compelling hypothesis that Americans consuming MSG in their diets for most of their lives will suffer from negative health consequences and this will affect the health of future generations whether they consume MSG or not. As a preliminary examination of this hypothesis, we are using Drosophila, the common fruit fly, as a model organism to carry out studies of transgenerational inheritance of MSG-induced behavioral phenotypes. We predict that the consumption of MSG over successive generations will result in phenotypic behavioral as well as epigenetic changes via transgenerational inheritance. We will feed three successive generations of flies normal food media or food containing MSG throughout all life stages. Subsequently, fourth generation, four-day old flies from previous generations raised on regular media or food containing MSG will be examined using a sleep monitor to measure locomotor and circadian rhythmic behaviors. This research will serve as a basis for future studies of environmental impacts on transgenerational inheritance.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): MOLSAMP
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sandra Leal, sleal@hornets.edu
Role: I will conduct every aspect of the research myself under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Leal