Kaun Lab
- Mar 29
- 4 min
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STUDYING BEHAVIOR IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER
Over the 20+ years I've been studying fly behavior, I've noticed that there are a lot of different methodical tricks that behavior labs do that can affect the outcome of behavior experiments, but that aren't really written down or recorded in the methods. There is really no central place for people entering the world of fly behavior to find detailed information on how to perform well-controlled fly behavior experiments. So, after years of troubleshooting behavior experiments, I've decided to write down some of the mythical information that is the lab lore of performing behavior experiments. This is my behavior blog...
WATCH YOUR FLIES!
One of the things I recommend above all else is to watch your flies behaving. That can give you a sense of what is going on. Our brains are amazing and can also catch subtle behavioral differences that might be missed if you just record and analyze your flies. Below are some fun videos of flies courting, consuming alcohol and responding to the pharmacological properties of alcohol vapor.
Sexual Rejection Increases Ethanol Preference
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