Presentation description

Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, is a widely used model organism in neuroscience and genetics due to its well-mapped neural circuits and powerful genetic tools. Despite its small size, the fly brain shares key features with vertebrate systems, making it an ideal model for studying how sensory information drives behavior. This research project examines behavioral responses to 2-phenylethanol (2PE), a yeast byproduct commonly found in wine and floral scents. While some flies are highly attracted to this odor, others avoid it, suggesting that natural genetic variation influences olfactory-driven behavior. To investigate this, we use the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), a collection of over 200 inbred fly lines that capture the genetic diversity of wild populations. By exposing both female and male flies from different DGRP lines to 2PE and quantifying their behavioral preferences, we aim to identify patterns of attraction, aversion, or indifference across genetically distinct individuals. Olfactory responses to 2PE are mediated by a well-defined neural circuit that links odor detection to innate behavior. Drosophila melanogaster uses the fly antenna to store olfactory sensory neurons that express odorant receptors, including OR67b neurons that detect 2PE and relay signals to the VA3 glomerulus in the antennal lobe. Projection neurons then transmit this information to the lateral horn, a brain region that processes innate behaviors. This circuit provides a framework for exploring how genetic differences may influence neural processing of odor cues. Our goal is to connect genotype, neural circuitry, and behavior to better understand how inherited variation shapes sensory decision-making. By establishing the behavioral foundation for future analyses of genetic and neuronal mechanisms, this work contributes to a broader understanding of how genes and brain wiring interact to drive innate behavior.