Using a novel T-Trap assay to investigate olfactory attraction behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster
Bromberg, Lena
Bromberg, Lena
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Abstract
Olfaction is an essential chemical sense allowing animals to detect cues in the environment and allows for important behavioral decisions. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been used for decades to study chemosensory behaviors due to robust genetic tools available in this animal model. A traditional "Trap" assay has been used to evaluate olfactory behaviors by luring flies into a container that prevents them from escaping to quantify odor-induced preferences. However, this assay requires large quantities of chemical odorants and large populations of flies, which are not always available in all experiments. In this project, we have constructed a novel "T-Trap" assay, combining the functions of the traditional "Trap" assay to a smaller scale to allow for only microliters of odorants to be required and using only 10 flies per assay. This experimental setup only requires affordable lab consumables, and can be readily incorporated into any lab or classroom. We have validated the �T-Trap� assay by showing that flies have a robust preference for apple cider vinegar that is concentration-dependent, and we characterize this preference over time. Flies with mutations in Orco, an olfactory co-receptor gene, is known to mediate olfaction and we replicate in our new assay that Orco mutation eliminates the behavioral preference for apple cider vinegar. Overall, we find that our �T-Trap� assay is as robust as the traditional �Trap� assay in quantifying olfactory behaviors, and can be used in future experiments to study olfactory decisions in flies and related species.
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Date
1/1/2026
Student Status
First Year (Graduating in 2029)
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Poster
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Biomedical Engineering
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College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
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Life Science