Potential models / assessments for fly experiments

IVs:

• gender / age (probably the lowest hanging fruit)
• diet (pomegranate juice, ellagic acid, sugar @ different concentrations)
• TBI with High Impact Trauma (HIT) device
• exercise with the Power Tower
• genetics (ApoE, epilepsy, protein knockout or under/over-expressers, transgenics, seizure-prone, etc.)
• anything that might elucidate the mechanisms of polyphenols and/or resiliency in the nervous system)
• many models are available at bdsc.indiana.edu and they’re relatively cheap
• irradiation with LLU’s proton beam (might cost some money)
• exposure to anesthesia (depending on the treatment, could be cheap or expensive)
• exposure to hypoxia (depending on the treatment, could be cheap or expensive)
• lit reviews will turn up more options

 

DVs:

• lifespan / survival analysis
• learning / memory (aversion to phototaxis)
• motor / climbing performance (negative geotaxis text)
• activity levels / circadian rhythms (Drosophila Activity Monitor [DAM])
• sociality / aggression 
• amount of feeding
• weight (will require lots to flies to weigh at once and average)
• histology (tissue staining) for neurodegenerative biomarkers
• “smurfing” / stun time for TBI flies
• seizure duration for seizure-prone flies
• lit reviews will turn up more options