Mentor/s:
Demetrio Sierra Mercado, PhD
Project Title:
The Effects of Glyphosate on Anxiety-Like and Social-Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Rats
Project Description:
This project investigates how chronic exposure to glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, affects anxiety-related and social behaviors in rats. Although considered safe at certain levels by the EPA, glyphosate has been linked to behavioral changes in animals, but its impact on social interaction remains unclear. To explore this, male and female rats were exposed to glyphosate (2.0 mg/kg/day) in their drinking water for 12 weeks, while a control group received filtered water. Starting in week 10, all rats underwent three behavioral tests: open field, novel object recognition, and social interaction. These tests assessed anxiety-like behavior, object exploration, and interest in a novel rat. We aim to determine whether glyphosate exposure increases anxiety-related responses and reduces social engagement, providing insight into the potential behavioral effects of long-term environmental exposure.