Yihe Dong

GEORGIA

Yihe Dong, 17, of Athens, studied the effects of parental dietary restrictions on the offspring of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) for her Intel Science Talent Search zoology project. While previous studies had shown that reduced caloric intake increased longevity and oxidative stress resistance to herbicides in fruit flies, Yihe wondered if their offspring would be similarly affected. In a seven-month investigation, she studied 3,200 virgin offspring of regular diet (R) vs. diet-restricted (DR) parents. Her data suggests that the offspring of DR parents have improved stress resistance, but may have reduced longevity. She believes her findings can further understanding of the evolutionary trade-off between quality and quantity in Drosophila reproduction. Yihe is first in her class of 275 at Cedar Shoals High School where she is president of student government. The founder of Young Partners for a Prosperous Athens, her many honors include 1st Place Grand Award and Best of Category in animal sciences at the Intel ISEF 2007. A native of China, she is fluent in Chinese, English and German. The daughter of Wubei Dong and Fengrui Guo, Yihe hopes to continue her studies at MIT or Harvard.