A microfluidic chip for investigating auditory responses in the larval-stage of the Fruit Fly

Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit-Fly) has been extensively used as a model organism to study the genetic basis of embryonic development and nervous system function [1,2]. Studying the neuronal responses in the larval stage of Drosophila is challenging due to its robust digging/burrowing behavior that impedes neuroimaging. This paper, demonstrates the first microfluidic device for immobilization and live-intact fluorescent imaging of Drosophila larva's Central Nervous System (CNS) in response to controlled acoustic stimulation. The device significantly reduces endogenous CNS movement which is crucial to study the sound-stimulated CNS activities of Drosophila larvae.