Video Analysis System for Behavior and Activity Assessment of Fruit Flies in High Throughput Studies

Authors

• Q Xu
• XL Li

Abstract

We present a novel monitoring system focused on advancing high-throughput automated activity assessment of Drosophila. The video-based system reports on the activity of each fly within each well of custom designed 24-well plate that conforms to the standard dimensions. The housing plate builds on the previously innovative Whole Animal Feeding Flat (WAFFL) system which was designed to streamline high-throughput feeding and toxicology studies for fruit flies. The custom designed plates, however, have been modified to optimize video quality and to make the plates injection moldable. Additionally the system has built in illumination to allow for full circadian cycle studies. The overall system is compact with a small benchtop footprint that should facilitate scale-up to large studies employing multiple units. Algorithms are being developed to automatically quantify activity and behavior for each individual fly.

Scientific Focus Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences

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