On April 20, Tiffin University undergraduate students Emma Sas, Sarah Jackson and Ashley Rathbun presented at the Midwest Association of Toxicology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Conference. Their research focused on the transmission of drugs in human cadavers to larvae and then to adult flies.
“Prior studies have shown that it is possible for drugs in a cadavers’ system to be passed onto larvae as they feed,” said Sas. “We wanted to see if the same was true of flies that have already been through metamorphosis.”
The students’ research, along with the assistance of Eric Davis, a 2014 Tiffin University graduate and consultant for their project, has allowed this project to progress. Davis is a doctoral candidate at Wayne State University, earning his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry. Together, they created a proposal using an innovative mass spectrometry technique to analyze levels of acetaminophen in larvae, adult flies and the substrate in which they thrived.
“This was a 100% student-driven endeavor,” said Dr. John Schupp, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Faculty Consultant. “It is so refreshing to see TU forensic science students this excited about conducting original research and making significant contributions to the field. I am proud beyond words of them and their achievements.”
To learn more about the School of Science, Technology and Health, visit tiffin.edu/academics/school-of-science-tech-health.