Archer Student STEM Symposium

This research project aims to identify a source that could be causing such high proportions of infertility, as well as find a treatment conducive to fertility and possibly reverse infertility. This project will be testing infertility by adding supplementation of either Casein, a protein found in cow’s milk and dairy products, astaxanthin, a carotenoid found in a freshwater microalgae, or a combination both into the food source of Drosophila (Drosophila Melanogaster). According to the USDA in a 2014 study, the average american consumed 614 pounds of dairy products annually. Casein has been linked to having multiple adverse effects on health including heart disease, type 1 diabetes and cancer. In addition, new research is flooding in about the health benefits of astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant . These benefits include improving semen quality, skin, endurance, increasing lifespan and also decreasing fat and blood pressure. This research hopes to find a correlation between casein and infertility as well as astaxanthin and fertility.