Dexterous robotic manipulation of alert adult Drosophila for high-content experimentation

Nat Methods. 2015 Jul;12(7):657-660. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.3410. Epub 2015 May 25.

Abstract

We present a robot that enables high-content studies of alert adult Drosophila by combining operations including gentle picking; translations and rotations; characterizations of fly phenotypes and behaviors; microdissection; or release. To illustrate, we assessed fly morphology, tracked odor-evoked locomotion, sorted flies by sex, and dissected the cuticle to image neural activity. The robot's tireless capacity for precise manipulations enables a scalable platform for screening flies' complex attributes and behavioral patterns.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Drosophila melanogaster / anatomy & histology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / physiology*
  • Female
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays*
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Robotics*
  • Rotation