NROS 415: Finding the Ventral Nerve Cord in Flies

This laboratory is very hands on, and as the course goes on we will learn all the techniques for recording. This is a trial-and-error learning environment; enough freedom is provided so that you can try different approaches to what we are doing in class. One example, is the Ventral Nerve Cord recordings in flies.

The suggested technique is waxing the fly on its dorsal side to the base, and tilting the head back as much as possible (which is not much, usually), start an incision in the throat, right above the legs. An important blood vessel is covering that area, so be careful not to destroy it and try to work your way around it. Once the upper layer of "stuff" ('that the fly won't need anyways') and that blood-sacs have been emptied, the VNC is discernable in the middle. Esophagus is usually behind it, very close.

Some students have tried a dorsal approach without much success. But it seems that opening the fly not on the troath but in between the legs also yields good results. Send photos of your technique and a description, so we all can learn!