Drosophila SMELL CIRCUITS OBSERVED IN REAL TIME
NEW IMAGING SYSTEMS
INVOLVING CALCIUM-SENSITIVE FLUORESCENT Dyes HAS PROVIDED A TECHNIQUE FOR A
FIRST REAL TIME observation OF THE DROSOPHILA OLFACTORY SYSTEM
Wang and his group (Wang J. W. et al.
Two-photon calcium imaging reveals an odour-evoked map of activity in the fly
brain. Cell 112: 271-282, 2003) by combining Ca-imaging with
two-photon microscopy have realized a model to test olfactory coding in flies.
This model may be relevant also for vertebrates. The technique might have also
more general applications to study neuronal activity in the fly brain.
BM&L-March 2003