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