Catherine Suitor
Longmont, CO
Bucknell University Biology Major
I am an undergraduate student attending Bucknell University. I plan to graduate in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. I am looking for summer research opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between biological research and clinical practices.
(Scroll Down)
Projects
“Effects of Indirect Light and Tryptophan on aggression in male and female Betta splendens” [In Progress]
Hypothesis: Indirect light and tryptophan increase serotonin production and will therefore reduce aggression in male and female Betta splendens.
Background: Indirect light and tryptophan have been shown to increase serotonin production in both Betta splendens and humans. The increased serotonin production has been linked to decreased aggression in Betta splendens and decreased depression in humans. Therefore, a reduction in aggression in Betta splendens with these treatments indicates that they may be used as a natural alternative to treat depression - most likely in those who require low doses of prescription medication.
Methods: IRB approved study for a procedure which measures the effects of indirect light and tryptophan on aggression measured via the in the mirror biting test in male and female Betta splendens. Further details to be included upon completion of study.
Figure 1: Image of test tank setup for females in the indirect light condition.
“Concentrations of Food Dye and Electrolytes in Sports Drinks”
Introduction
Studies find that food dye can cause behavioral issues with young children. [5]
Electrolytes enhance alethic performance and maintain blood glucose during exercise. [6]
Knowing the concentrations of Gatorade, Powerade, & Pedialyte would be useful in determining the best sports drink for consumption (low dye, high electrolytes).
Tested the concentration of dye, type of electrolyte, and concentration of electrolyte in different colors of the three brands.
Figure 1: Sports drinks used in experiment included Fruit Punch Gatorade, Berry Gatorade, Lemon Lime Gatorade, Berry Frost Pedialyte, Mountain Berry Blast Powerade, Fruit Punch Powerade, and Lemon Lime Powerade. [1][2][3]
Research Questions:
Does Gatorade, Pedialyte, or Powerade have the highest concentration of food coloring in the yellow, red, and blue flavors?
Which brand and/or color has the highest concentration of electrolytes? What type of electrolytes?
Experimental Approach
Tested 3 colors of each brand: blue, red, & yellow (only blue Pedialyte was available).
Diluted the drinks so that they could be read by the spectrometer, then compared their concentrations using a control substance and Beer’s Law.
Used flame test to test the type of electrolyte in each drink.
Used a conductivity probe to find the concentration of electrons in each drink.
Graphed the concentrations to gain results.
Food Dye Concentration Results
Powerade had the lowest concentration of red dye (10.41mL/100mL H2O). It was 0.6mL/100mL H2O lower than Gatorade.
Pedialyte had the lowest concentration of blue dye (32.59 mL/100mL H2O). It was 1.94 mL/100mL H2O lower than Gatorade and 65.53 mL/100mL H2O lower than Powerade.
Powerade had the lowest concentration of yellow dye (33.39mL/100mL H2O). It was 1.53mL/100mL H2O.
Figure 2: Red food dye concentrations in Fruit Punch Gatorade and Fruit Punch Powerade.
Figure 3: Blue food dye concentrations in Berry Gatorade, Mountain Berry Blast Powerade, and Berry Frost Pedialyte.
Figure 4: Yellow food dye concentrations in Lemon-Lime Gatorade and Lemon Lime Powerade.
Flame Test Results
Gatorade burned orange/pink indicating Potassium and Sodium.
Powerade burned orange indicating Calcium and Sodium.
Pedialyte burned pink indicating Potassium.
Figure 5: Flame tests for pure potassium, sodium, and calcium. Note that potassium burns pink, sodium burns yellow-orange and calcium burns red-orange. [4]
Electrolyte Concentration Results
Pedialyte had the highest concentration of electrolytes at 7322 µs/cm.
Figure 6: Electrolyte concentrations in Gatorade, Powerade, and Pedialyte
References
“Gatorade 12 oz Bottle - 24/Case,” HydrationDepot.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.hydrationdepot.com/images/PO/gatorade-12oz-bottles.jpg. [Accessed: 15-Nov-2022].
“Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus Ready-to-Drink Electrolyte Solution Berry Frost,” heb.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.heb.com/product-detail/pedialyte-advancedcare-plus-ready-to-drink-electrolyte-solution-berry-frost-1-l/2155556. [Accessed: 15-Nov-2022].
“Powerade/Gatorade,” ABC Pizza Shop. [Online]. Available: https://www.abcpizzashop.com/poweradegatorade.html. [Accessed: 15-Nov-2022].
“Colored Fire Spray Bottles ,” Science Notes, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://sciencenotes.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Colored-Fire-Spray-Bottles.png. [Accessed: 22-Nov-2022].
B. Bateman, J. O. Warner, E. Hutchinson, T. Dean, P. Rowlandson, C. Gant, J. Grundy, C. Fitzgerald, and J. Stevenson, “The effects of a double blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colourings and benzoate preservative challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool children,” Archives of Disease in Childhood, vol. 89, no. 6, pp. 506–511, 2004.
J. M. Davis, D. R. Lamb, R. R. Pate, C. A. Slentz, W. A. Burgess, and W. P. Bartoli, “Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks: Effects on endurance cycling in the heat,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 1023–1030, 1988.
Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel Wikipedia Project
A semester long research project on the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel. The final result was editing the Wikipedia page, so the research conducted could be easily accessible and digestible by the public.
My Contributions (Cfs015):
Improved content structure
Added the following new sections:
“Conservation” with three subsections “Threats,” “Status,” and “Efforts”
”Diet and Life History” and “Distribution and Habitat”
Elaborated and improved the existing sections
“Description” and "Lead"
Increased number of citations from 2 to 16.
8 primary articles, several governmental reports, and related websites
New range map created and inserted
Three new photos added
