To conduct my experiment, I gathered supplies provided by my Genetics 312 Laboratory. The ones I used to prepare my experiment included plastic cups, lids, scoops, flour from La Farm Bakery, and a sharpie to label my cups. I used three cups to test my control of only flour and water, three cups to test the starter with the addition of lychee peel, and another 3 containing dates. Both fruits were purchased from Indu Indian Market from Super Global Market in Greensboro. The fruits were unwashed to preserve any existing yeasts or bacteria.
I chose to use a gram scale to ensure scoop measurements were consistent, so each starter was prepared with 26 grams of flour and 40 grams of dechlorinated water. In the treatment group, the lychee peel was added to the mixture before the water. After all materials were added to each cup, individual spoons were used to mix each for 20 seconds.
After all starter components were mixed, a paper towel completely covering each cup surface was sealed by a plastic lid with all straw tabs pressed back to open the hole for airflow.
All starters were then moved out of direct sunlight, with a alternating arrangement as shown in Figure 1. These cups were rotated for the first 3 days, and then the order (Lychee, Date, Control) was changed to Control, Lychee, Date on Day 4 and rotation continued.