• 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 flies from a pure-breeding stock (wild or mutant type).
• Select about 10 males and 10 females 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 subculture 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 offspring pupae begin to appear.
• Mature pupae and newly hatched adult males can be used for making  parental (P) crosses.  Newly hatched male and female adults can be used to make new subcultures.
   
   

CONTACT PERSON:  Robert Weibust - weibust@mnstate.edu

LAST UPDATE:  4/25/04

MSUM is an equal opportunity educator and employer