Automated sleep detection and deprivation system for fruit flies

描述（申请人提供）：在过去的七年中，黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）或普通果蝇在成为探索睡眠遗传和蛋白质组学机制的无脊椎模式生物方面获得了重要的地位。虽然利用现有工具在果蝇睡眠研究领域取得了很大进展，但它们对果蝇睡眠（不动）时期的观察、记录和分析是有限的。此外，没有现有的系统能够在需要的基础上单独消灭剥夺睡眠的苍蝇。这个提议概述了一个明确设计的系统，用于测量果蝇的少量运动，因此，比任何现有的系统都更准确地估计睡眠。结合这种检测装置，我们还建议设计一种机械化系统，能够通过完全可编程的计算机界面自动剥夺单个苍蝇的睡眠。该系统还将为基于光、温度、气味、声音等的模式的可控引入提供一个灵活的行为平台。该提案的第一阶段成功地演示了一种设备，可以记录和分析运动模式和睡眠，并在单独饲养的苍蝇中强制保持清醒。第二阶段将把这个原型设备建成一个自动化的、可扩展的、模块化的系统，能够监测和剥夺160多只苍蝇的睡眠，这些苍蝇被安置在一个商业孵化器里。完成这个项目需要Pinnacle Technology和宾夕法尼亚大学世界著名的果蝇研究团队的共同努力。原型和设计将继续由Pinnacle Technology负责，而系统的测试和改进将由宾夕法尼亚大学的团队完成。这两种功能的结合专门用于记录和自动分析果蝇的睡眠，将为果蝇研究人员探索睡眠的基本遗传学提供一个新的强大工具。该系统的技术创新将包括增强的视频识别软件，用单个摄像机观察多只苍蝇的机制以及有选择地剥夺单个苍蝇睡眠的技术。通过一个基于网络的控制系统，可以控制单个苍蝇的睡眠剥夺和数据的实时可视化。完成后，该系统将通过已知睡眠突变的测试进行验证，并由训练有素的人类观察者进行验证。大型制药公司已经在寻求这种设备的商业应用，因为它们正在探索用于靶向治疗的新的潜在基因产品。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Within the last seven years, Drosophila melanogaster or common fruit fly has gained an important niche in becoming an invertebrate model organism for exploring genetic and proteomic mechanisms underlying sleep. While a great deal of progress has been made in the field of Drosophila sleep research using available tools, they are limited for the observation, recording and analysis of sleep (immobility) periods in the fruit fly. Additionally, no existing system is capable of individually sleep-depriving flies on an as- needed basis. This proposal outlines a system explicitly designed to measure small amounts of motion in the Drosophila and, as such, more accurately estimate sleep than any available system. In conjunction with this detection device we also propose the design of a mechanized system capable of automatically sleep depriving individual flies through a fully-programmable computerized interface. The system will also provide a flexible behavioral platform for the controlled introduction of modalities based on light, temperature, scent, sound, etc. Phase I of this proposal successfully demonstrated a device to record and analyze motion patterns and sleep as well as enforce wakefulness in individually housed flies. Phase II will build this prototype device into an automated, scalable, modular system capable of monitoring and sleep depriving 160+ flies housed within a commercial incubator. Accomplishment of this project will involve a collaborative effort between Pinnacle Technology and the world-renowned Drosophila research team at The University of Pennsylvania. Prototyping and design will continue to be undertaken by Pinnacle Technology while testing and refinement of the system will be accomplished by the University of Pennsylvania team. The combination of these two features specifically designed to record and automatically analyzes sleep in the fly, will provide a new and powerful tool for Drosophila researchers to explore the basic genetics underlying sleep. Technological innovations of this system will include enhanced video recognition software, mechanisms to observe multiple flies with a single video camera and the technology to selectively deprive individual flies of sleep. Control of individual fly sleep deprivation and real-time visualization of data will be available though a web-based control system. After completion, the system will be validated by testing with known sleep mutations and validated by a trained human observer. Commercial applications of such a device are already being sought by major pharmaceutical companies as they explore new potential gene products for targeted therapy. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: It is estimated that at least 40 million Americans suffer each year from chronic, long-term sleep disorders while an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems. Economically, poor sleep accounts for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year and the indirect costs of lost productivity and other factors are known to be much higher. While the links between inadequate sleep and poor health and productivity are becoming clearer, there is a dire need to understand the basic causes and biological need for sleep.