X-Message-Number: 16098
Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 11:11:46 +0000
From: Kennita Watson <>
Subject: Re: Fruit fly experiments
References: <>

> From: Doug Skrecky <>
> 
> > 3) How many flies does each bottle start out with?
> >
> Variable: usually something between 15 to 35.
> 
> > 4) I keep reading about fruit flies laying eggs at 2 days and
> > having a life span of 2 weeks.  Are the bottles multigenerational?
> >
>   Taurine is a standard additive to the fly food, which acts as a
> non-toxic larvicide. Since there are no offspring, only the original flies
> are tracked throughout their lifespan.... Fly ages at the begining of my 
> experiments are indeterminant, and variable.

>   ... comparisons between experiments can also not be made, because
> both storage temperature changes, and the average age of the flies used
> will also vary.

I'm finding myself more and more curious about your setup.  I've looked
at a number of articles at http://www.geocities.com/longevityrpt/lr.htm,
and it seems to have changed over time, and physical layout and other
environmental details are sketchy and/or scattered.

Where are the bottles?  You mentioned "multiple controls" once; how
many?  About how much does the temperature vary?  What about light?  
Humidity?  Can the fly lab give you a range for the ages of the
flies they give you on a given visit?  How do you transfer the flies 
to their experiment bottles (e.g., why is the number variable, and
how do you avoid having a house full of fruit flies (I assume if
they escape, the larvicide is no longer helpful)?  If temperature 
control is an issue, maybe an aquarium would help?  With a heating
pad or electric blanket?  Is it really impractical to use more flies;
it seems it would allow better statistics -- as would measuring more
often near the end rather than less.  Since the average life span
of a fruit fly seems to be about 60 days, it would seem counts
before 40 days aren't needed except to identify what kills fruit 
flies, and I'd be tempted to try 1/10 of whatever it is to see if
maybe they're just overdosing.

The more I think about it, the more questions I have.  I've been 
thinking for most of an hour and figure I'd better stop while there
are still few enough questions that I  could absorb the answers.  
Could you please do a full article for Cryonet/Longevity Report on 
your methodology, setup, etc.?

Thanks,
Kennita (assuming *somebody* else out there has some of the same questions)
--
Kennita Watson          |  Check your receipt!  If it has your complete 
     |  CC number and exp. date on it, complain to the 
http://www.kennita.com  |  manager; you are ripe for credit/identity theft.

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