Drosophila Species Stock Center

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award continues support for the University of California Species Stock Center, a collection of living stocks of Drosophila species. The living collection consists of over 1000 strains representing approximately 250 species of the small insect commonly referred to as the fruit fly. Project goals are to provide live flies to researchers and educators at a charge that helps defray operating costs. The whole genomes of 14 Drosophila species have been sequenced which has driven the use of these species by the biological community including researchers in behavior, neurobiology, development, genomics, ecology, physiology, immunology, and systems biology. Growth in the collection includes addition of newly collected wild type strains and addition of transgenic strains for those species whose genomes have been sequenced. These species provide unprecedented opportunities to study basic biological processes common to many species, including humans. In addition to enabling research, the Stock Center provides samples for educational uses in high schools, colleges and museums. The Stock Center also conducts an annual workshop for students and researchers wishing to learn more about the varied species in the collection and to acquire the special knowledge needed to work with them.