top of page
WELCOME TO
Jasmitha Gourabathini's
AP RESEARCH Project
Research Question: Does L-theanine Promote Recovery of Axonal Damage after Traumatic Brain Injury in Caenorhabditis elegans?
Lets define some terms!
Traumatic
Brain Injury:
The CDC classified Traumatic brain Injury. as a disruption in normal brain function caused by an external force to the head. In 2020, the United States had over 64000 cases of TBI. Another study also found lower-income countries had citizens three times more likely to experience TBI and labeled it as "The Silent Pandemic." The injury includes symptoms such as loss of consciousness, seizures or convulsions, irreparable brain damage, and increased mortality rates.
Axonal
Damage
A part of the brain that recieves significant damage from TBI are the the cablelike structures which are responsible for cell signaling and transmitting messages
L- theanine
A unique non-protein amino acid contained in Green Tea leaves claimed to have various benefits such as a reduction of stress, increased cognative ability, memory and even nueroprotective effects.
Caenorhabditis elegans
These are the 1mm clear roundworms commonly used at model organisms for neurological diseases such as TBI and the specific strain I am using allows me to visualize the axons
Why is This important
Traumatic Brain Injury is a detrimental occurrence and does not have many affordable treatment options. However, the places where citizens experience more TBI such as Southeast Asia, Green Tea is a popular meal and can have amazing impacts and potentially help in healing. Many health articles describe green tea as a plausible treatment after TBI however, there is no research to confirm this. My research can hopefully help understand TBI research and the properties of L-theanine as well as find a way to spread affordable care through lifestyle choices for injuries such as TBI. I cannot wait to begin my research and am endlessly thankful for everyone supporting me!
VIDEO EXPLAINING PROJECT COMING SOON!
BLOG
Latest Updates! Follow my Journey on this Blog
bottom of page