Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello!

I had a research question planned for my science project that would be investigating the effect of genetic engineering on the nutritional value of produce. We were planning to use refractometers to measure any differences in sugar content or minerals, use titration to compare vitamin c levels, and see if there were any differences in if they contained any ionic compounds by testing conductivity. We saw that potatoes were a commonly genetically modified vegetable and decided to use them as our subject. We then realized that genetically modified potatoes aren't sold as produce for consumption where we live so that made the experiment a no go. We were then going to compare inorganic vs organic milk using the same criteria but thought that there wouldn't be a significant difference in results. Our problem is that we have ideas of properties we want to measure and the means to measure them (we also thought implementing the use of glucose strips might be helpful if that was something we wanted to investigate), but not a subject to measure that would yield results that we could form a conclusion upon. Any feedback or advice would be helpful. Thank you so much

Hello,

This sounds like an interesting project idea! If you can't find any genetically modified potatoes in your area, you can try to look for soybeans, corn, or canola. Those are some of the most common GMO crops so they might be easier for you to find. They should also work for the properties you want to measure. You can check out the FDA page on GMOs for more information.

https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-b ... and-beyond

Let us know if you need more help!