Lasers Allow Researchers to Look Inside Fly Brains
esearchers from Stanford University in California have found a way to look inside the brains of flies, and other small animals using a very small hole made by a laser.
Researchers from Stanford University in California have found a way to monitor the brain activity of flies and other small animals using a very small hole made by a laser.
As part of the study, scientists first anesthetized the fruit flies and held them still while the laser made a hole smaller than a human hair in the heads of the flies.
They then put a saline solution in the hole to keep the brain healthy and operating.
According to a systems engineer at Stanford who worked on the study: “The induced trauma to the fly is minimized, and the fly can remain alive longer. Learning and memory experiments in which the brain is imaged before and after training is possible.”
They monitored the brain activity of the fruit flies, which were genetically engineered so that the presence of calcium ions would create a green glow.
The laser technique is reportedly more efficient and allows researchers to monitor brain activity for up to 20 times longer than surgical methods.
This same technique was also used by researchers working with mice, worms and ants.
In the future, the process might be automated and used as a way to help scientists observe and better understand the interior biological processes of animal’s brains.
Researchers from Stanford University in California have found a way to monitor the brain activity of flies and other small animals using a very small hole made by a laser.
As part of the study, scientists first anesthetized the fruit flies and held them still while the laser made a hole smaller than a human hair in the heads of the flies.
They then put a saline solution in the hole to keep the brain healthy and operating.
According to a systems engineer at Stanford who worked on the study: “The induced trauma to the fly is minimized, and the fly can remain alive longer. Learning and memory experiments in which the brain is imaged before and after training is possible.”
They monitored the brain activity of the fruit flies, which were genetically engineered so that the presence of calcium ions would create a green glow.
The laser technique is reportedly more efficient and allows researchers to monitor brain activity for up to 20 times longer than surgical methods.
This same technique was also used by researchers working with mice, worms and ants.
In the future, the process might be automated and used as a way to help scientists observe and better understand the interior biological processes of animal’s brains.
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