In the field of aging research, the Drosophila Facility offers a variety of methods for determining molecular and phenotypic changes during aging as part of the research activities of the Madeo, Eisenberg and Carmona-Gutierrez working groups.
Memory performance
Memory tests can be used to examine associative short- and long-term memory under precisely controlled conditions. Among other things, the IMB is investigating the role of polyamine metabolism in age-associated memory loss. In addition, memory tests are used in Drosophila models of Alzheimer's disease to assess the progression of the disease.
Sleep-Monitoring
Healthy sleep is a key factor for healthy aging. The molecular basis for the regulation of sleep duration and sleep fragmentation can be investigated with video-based analysis of Drosophila. Using complex data analysis, the depth of sleep and attention parameters of fruit flies with different genetic and pharmacological conditions can be examined.
Motor function tests
Negative geotaxis describes the instinct of fruit flies to climb upwards in a vessel. This property can be used to elucidate age- or disease-associated motor defects with the help of video-assisted tracking. Researchers at the IMB are using this technology to search for novel active ingredients and combinations of active ingredients to combat Parkinson's disease and age-related frailty.
Tissue Imaging
Drosophila has a complex organ system that can be visualized using fluorescence microscopy. In order to understand the cellular processes that cause age- and disease-associated frailty, relevant cell components are specifically fluorescently labeled and imaged using high-resolution microscopy techniques.
The Drosophila Facility offers a broad spectrum of methods for investigating metabolic processes within the framework of systems biology approaches in the research area of energy metabolism under the direction of the Kühnlein working group.
In vivo screening platform/funtional genomics
For systems biology issues, such as the contribution of various genes to metabolic processes, the IMB has sufficient infrastructure for genome-wide screening and functional studies. This includes total lipid quantification using a liquid handling station, single-fly lipidome analysis, automated immunoblotting and high-throughput cytometry.
Microcalorimetry
The conversion of ingested food and storage substances into energy equivalents leads to characteristic changes in the amount of heat that can be precisely determined using high-resolution microcalorimetry. Using the isothermal microcalorimeter (TA Instruments) at the IMB, metabolic processes in individual flies can be measured in real time over a period of hours.
Feed intake/feed preference (flyPAD)
Metabolic processes can have a direct effect on food intake and/or food preference. The flyPAD (fly Proboscis and Activity Detector) system makes it possible to precisely analyze the interaction of flies with different food sources via the finest electrical capacitance changes. For example, genes that affect the sensation of hunger or satiety can be investigated.
Automated activity monitoring
Disturbances in energy metabolism often affect the activity patterns of Drosophila. In automated activity monitoring (Trikinetics System, DAM2), the movement of individual flies through a glass tube is recorded in real time using infrared light to create an individual activity profile over several days.
Contact
Dr.rer.nat. BSc MSc Andreas Zimmermann
+43 316 380 - 1498
Institut für Molekulare Biowissenschaften
Nach Voranmeldung per Email
https://molekularbiologie.uni-graz.at/de/alterung-zelltod-labor-frank-madeo/
Service
- Support for questions in the field of ageing and metabolism research
- Test battery for quantitative assessment of healthspan (survival probability, motor skills, memory performance, sleep quality, etc.)
- Genetic & pharmacological models for neurodegenerative & metabolic diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, frontotemporal dementia, dietary obesity, etc.)
- Training for experimental work with Drosophila (e.g. preparation & imaging of brain, heart, fat body)
- Support with the acquisition of third-party funding