Effect of Drugs on Behavioral Traits of Drosophila Melanogaster using the Geotaxis and Locomotion Assays

Measuring the movements of flies helps determine the effects different drugs have on fruit flies.

Intern(s):

Alexis Gutierrez, Chosen Archie, Sofia Lopez

Mentor(s):

Jose Marin, Elizabeth Emmanuel, Tessa Hirschfeld-Stoler

Project Period:

2021-2022

Team:

Harlem

Experimental question: How do substances such as alcohol and caffeine affect the movement of Drosophila melanogaster?

We decided to conduct trials using wingless Drosophila and observed their behaviors. We measured their locomotion (how far they travel horizontally) and geotaxis (how far they travel vertically) to better understand how caffeine and alcohol affect Drosophila behavior.

Click here to see the poster presentation of this project!

This page was originally developed by BioBus Summer 2021 Jr. Scientist William Rhee.