It's Finally Finished!
My research has officially concluded, and I've completed both my final paper and my formal presentation. A quick recap of my work:
Science Jargon - Abstract
In recent years, a marked decrease in the diversity of pollinator species has been observed. This is concerning as both wild and domesticated plants rely heavily on pollination to reproduce and fruit. Biologists cite several different reasons for this decline, but a prominent cause is the loss of foraging grounds. Human development decreases the amount of flowers available, and insects are unable to gather enough food for the colony. This experiment analyzed the PAP1-D gene mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana and the effect it had on pollen production. Prior research has indicated that a mutation of this gene causes the plant to produce higher amounts of lignin, a protein necessary for forming pollen producing structures. The hypothesis for this study was that the mutation would lead to increased pollen because previous research has connected this specific mutation to increased amounts of vital plant proteins. While modified plants had slightly more pollen on average, the data yielded a p value of 0.1428 and was not statistically significant. Further research is needed to determine whether the mutation increases pollen amounts and could be implemented to help bolster pollinator populations.
Results
Overall, the plants with the gene modification yielded roughly 22% more pollen than the wildtype group. However, this difference wasn't quite enough to say for sure that the mutation is what caused the increase. The data was inconclusive, and my hypothesis cannot be supported or refuted. In order to accurately determine PAP1-D's effect, the research would need to be recreated, ideally with a larger population size.
Reflection
While inconclusive data is disappointing, it isn't very surprising. The majority of research doesn't yield immediate results, and the limitations of a high school setting make it even harder to have enough data to achieve statistical significance. I think the most important part of this project was the experience it gave me. I'm graduating this year and heading to CSU to study biochem & botany, so this is exactly what I want to do with my future. It's really beneficial to have a 'sneak peek' of what my studies are going to be like before I fully commit to anything. When it came to the paper and presentation, I definitely should have started working on them sooner. I have a tendency to procrastinate, but I really need to change that if I want to not explode at college.Â
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I'd like to thank my teachers - Mrs. Dobos for buying me King Soopers flowers, and Mr. Mcbride for always trying his best to understand my sciency junk. I'd also like to thank my expert mentors, Mrs. Wills and Mrs. Petri, for all their help on designing and executing my project. Finally, the person that deserves the most thanks is Sophie Trotter, who helped me carry my plant trays to my car.