• Prepare a new culture vial with media.  Be sure the vial is kept plugged except when you are adding / removing flies.

• Lightly anesthetize a sample of adult F₁ offspring from a parental (P) cross that has been hatching less than ten days.

• Sex and phenotype the flies in the sample.  Record the data in your lab notebook on the page containing information about the specific parental (P) cross from which the F₁ flies came.

• Select 6 - 10 F₁ females and 6 - 10 F₁ males from the sample and put them in the newly prepared vial.  Be sure the flies are placed on the side of the vial in a dry spot.  Plug the vial and keep it on its side until the flies recover.

• Prepare a label for the vial and record the appropriate information for this new F₁ x F₁ cross in your lab notebook.

• When the flies awaken, put the label on the vial and stand the vial upright in a tray in the incubator.

• Check the vial every few days for signs of offspring larvae and, later, pupae.

• Remove and discard the parents when the offspring pupae begin to appear.

• When the offspring pupae begin to hatch, sex and phenotype all adult F₂ offspring emerging during the first ten days.  Record the data in your laboratory notebook.
   

CONTACT PERSON:  Robert Weibust - weibust@mnstate.edu

LAST UPDATE:  4/25/04

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