I am planning to conduct an experiment on the effects pesticides have on lifespan. I want to make this a valid experiment, so I have questions on how to go about doing this. I am planning on having two groups: one fed only conventional foods and another fed only organic food. I plan on treating the conventionally-fed mice as the control group, but should I have a separate control group fed with only mouse food? Also, how many mice should I have in each group? I don't have access to a lab, so can my experiment still be valid if I keep them at my house? Thanks for all the help!

I don't know where you are but performing this sort of experiment requires appropriate licensing (and measures to ensure there is no unnecessary suffering, etc). If you don't even know how to conduct such a study, it seems unlikely you would be able to conform to the regulations.

Thank you for your concern regarding the welfare of the animals. I have already reviewed the guidelines and I seemed to be in the clear, but I wanted to be certain, so I emailed the AWA and am awaiting a response.

What equipment do you have? In order to have any kind of validity you will need to at least be able to quantify the pesticides, I would lower the aim a little and go with TLC plates or adulterate the organic food with a known amount of the chemicals you are studying. This is a potential mine field regarding getting a license, so search the literature make sure you know the LC and LD50 of every chemical you intend to use.

It could also get expensive as you will have to obtain chemicals from companies that can guarantee the purity etc (Sigma Aldrich etal), Which country are you in? Look at local University sites and see if any of the staff have papers in this area, contact them and you never know you might get a little help!

 

We have a 16 year old doing work experience at weekends with us because he wrote in and asked, and he called us up, again and again and again and again. Until I am unsure if I was impressed or I just had enough of the calls lol, but he is doing very very well and a real joy to teach! He has that infectious need to know everything and everything new to him is like discovery the meaning the life! Remember when we were like that?

Edited October 15, 201510 yr by GM11