Article abstract
Nature Methods 6, 451 - 457 (2009)
Published online: 3 May 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmeth.1328
High-throughput ethomics in large groups of Drosophila
Kristin Branson1, Alice A Robie1, John Bender2, Pietro Perona1 & Michael H Dickinson1
Abstract
We present a camera-based method for automatically quantifying the individual and social behaviors of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, interacting in a planar arena. Our system includes machine-vision algorithms that accurately track many individuals without swapping identities and classification algorithms that detect behaviors. The data may be represented as an ethogram that plots the time course of behaviors exhibited by each fly or as a vector that concisely captures the statistical properties of all behaviors displayed in a given period. We found that behavioral differences between individuals were consistent over time and were sufficient to accurately predict gender and genotype. In addition, we found that the relative positions of flies during social interactions vary according to gender, genotype and social environment. We expect that our software, which permits high-throughput screening, will complement existing molecular methods available in Drosophila, facilitating new investigations into the genetic and cellular basis of behavior.
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Correspondence to: Pietro Perona1 e-mail: perona@caltech.edu
Correspondence to: Michael H Dickinson1 e-mail: flyman@caltech.edu
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