GMO: Food or Foe? The Effects of GMO vs. Organic Papaya Diet on the Longevity and Fertility of the Fruit Fly

Overview

Objectives/Goals If the independent variable "organic vs GMO diet" is fed to separate populations of fruit flies, I expect the dependent variables "longevity" and "fertility" to be reduced in the GMO fed fruit fly populations. Methods/Materials 24 vials of fruit flies were fed GMO papaya media and 24 vials of fruit flies were fed organic papaya media. The flies were observed for 2 generations over the course of 6 weeks to record longevity and fertility data. For longevity study, the adult flies were transferred to new vials every 5 days to avoid including their offsprings in the longevity count. The lifespan of these adults were recorded. For fertility study, 24 male and 24 female 2nd generation flies were mated in 8 separate vials to observe reproductive rate on GMO and organic papaya media. The larvae in these 8 vials were counted and recorded on day 5. Results The 1st generation fruit flies which were fed organic papaya lived longer on average than the flies fed GMO papaya by 22%. The difference became more pronounced with the 2nd generation; the 2nd generation flies fed organic papaya lived longer by by 41% on average. Regarding dietary effects on reproductive rates, flies fed organic papaya produced more larvae than flies fed GMO papaya media by 12%. Conclusions/Discussion Based on the experimental data I observed, the results support my hypothesis that fruit flies fed GMO papaya will have a reduced lifespan and fertility compared to fruit flies that are fed organic papaya. Therefore, I would recommend that people avoid GMO and choose organic until human clinical trials reveal the long-term effect on the human race. Not only are GE agricultural practices questionable, but also our health could quite possibly be compromised.

Awards (1)

• First Place

Competition history

• CSEF 2013 Pharmacology/ Toxicology · Entry J1730

Resources

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