Blog Post #2

Regeneration is the process by which organisms repair or regrow damaged tissues, and I am particularly interested in how planarians, a type of flatworm, can regenerate entire body parts. Light therapy, which uses specific wavelengths of light to promote healing, is already used in dermatology for treating skincare, but its effects on regeneration in simple organisms like planarians in a more medicinal aspect, are not well understood. In my research, I aim to investigate how red, blue, and green light influence the regeneration of planarians by comparing their healing times under different light exposures. Through this research, I hope to gain a better understanding of how light affects cellular repair and stem cell activity. This research could provide valuable insights that may one day improve medical treatments using light therapy for human tissue repair.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been running test trials with the planaria to fine-tune the light exposure times and determine the most effective wavelengths for my study. To keep the planaria healthy and sustained, I fed them egg yolk before starting the research and will continue if needed. The light therapy device I’m using offers seven different colors, but I’ve chosen to focus on red, blue, and green—these are the most commonly used in public light therapy applications and will provide the most relevant data. After completing two initial test rounds over the past three weeks, I officially began my first full trial this past week. So far, all the planaria are regenerating as expected, with no unexpected changes. Since they remained healthy throughout the initial phase, I could proceed with cutting them after one round of LED light therapy. Overall, the research is progressing smoothly, and I’m excited to see how the results unfold.

During my first trial round with the planaria, I ran into some unexpected challenges. Initially, while testing different wavelengths and exposure times, I started with 2-3 minutes per light session, allowing the planaria to rest for five minutes between exposures before moving on to the next light. After two days of this process, I was shocked to find that by the third day, the planaria had completely disintegrated. After researching potential causes, I realized that even short exposures could evaporate enough water to weaken the planaria, making them more vulnerable. To address this issue in my second trial, I added 3ml of water after each light exposure to maintain hydration levels. Additionally, I discovered that the water had overheated due to high wavelengths, which was fatal for the planaria since they could not survive in warm water. To prevent this from happening again, I reduced the exposure time to one minute and thirty seconds and carefully tested the wavelength settings to ensure they remained within a safe range.

Below is the data I have collected so far in my research. Since I was only able to begin my experiment this week, I have logged three days of observations. On the first day, I measured the initial cutting height of the planaria to establish a baseline for comparison. The next data points represent their growth after one day of light exposure. Based on the table, all planaria exposed to LED light showed at least some growth in one part of their body, while the control group exhibited no increase in size. As my research progresses, I plan to transition my data into a collective line graph to visually compare the growth patterns across all four groups. I was surprised to find that even a single round of LED light exposure seemed to stimulate slight growth in all three experimental groups. Moving forward, I hope to observe continued upward trends in regeneration as the research continues.

(In the tables below, BE and AE represent Before and After Exposure, respectively.)

Reflecting on my research progress so far, I have encountered both challenges and successes that have helped me refine my approach. Initially, my first trial round resulted in the planaria disintegrating due to excessive exposure time and overheating, but I was able to adjust by reducing the exposure duration and adding water between sessions. These setbacks reinforced the importance of careful observation and adaptation in experimental research. I was also pleasantly surprised to see early signs of growth in the LED-exposed groups after just one day, which suggests that light therapy may have a measurable impact on regeneration. While it is still too early to conclude, the initial trends are promising and encourage me to continue adjusting my methodology. Moving forward, I plan to analyze my data more comprehensively by plotting growth trends in a line graph to better visualize differences across conditions. Overall, this research has reinforced my ability to problem-solve in a scientific setting, while also letting me explore planarian regeneration.