Article Summary #14

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/ciot-cro021210.php
Caltech researchers obtain first brain recordings from behaving fruit flies
Kathy Svitil
In the past, it has been impossible to capture the activity of cells in the brain. At the California Institute of Technology, a breakthrough has been made and researchers have obtained the first recording of brain-cell activity from an actively flying fruit fly. Scientists discovered that during flight, parts of the fruit flies brain are in a different state. In the future scientists hope to be able to pinpoint how exactly neurons react when put in complex situations. It is very easy to manipulate the genes of a Fruit Fly, but the hard part is working with their size. The way that researchers measured the brain cell activity was by tying the fruit fly into place, and placing sensors on their skulls. Then, after secured shooting air at them to cause them to flutter their wings and measuring brain cell activity using diodes.
When scientists measured brain activity, they noticed that the neurons were sending signals to each other at a higher rate when the fly had to change its direction of flight. Scientists believe that there is a neurochemical release that causes the animal to sense its need to change direction, then the neurons communicate with each other to get the desired task complete.