Journal Monthly Highlights: August 2019

1JoVE Content Production

A Direct and Simple Method to Assess Drosophila melanogaster's Viability from Embryo to Adult

Antonio L. Rockwell1, Isabel Beaver1, Cintia F. Hongay1

This protocol is designed to assess the viability of Drosophila at every developmental stage, from embryo to adult. The method can be used to determine and compare the viability of different genotypes or growth conditions.

Cultivation of the Marine Pelagic Tunicate Dolioletta gegenbauri (Uljanin 1884) for Experimental Studies

Tina L. Walters1, Deidre M. Gibson2, Marc E. Frischer1

Doliolids, including the species Dolioletta gegenbauri, are small gelatinous marine zooplankton of ecological significance found on productive subcontinental shelf systems worldwide. The difficulty of culturing these delicate organisms limits their investigation. In this study, we describe cultivation approaches for collecting, rearing, and maintaining the doliolid Dolioletta gegenbauri.

Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy

Jessica Gibbons1, Poongodi Geetha-Loganathan1

Here, we present detailed processing protocols for imaging delicate tissue samples using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three different processing methods, namely, hexamethyl disilazana (HMDS) chemical drying, simple air drying, and critical point drying are described for preparing rigid eggshells, embryos at early developmental stages, and fungal cultures respectively.

Cortisol Measurement in Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) Fur

Renae Charalambous1, Edward Narayan1

We present a protocol to determine the optimal extraction solvent to measure cortisol from koala fur. The solvents used in this protocol are methanol, ethanol and isopropanol. Determining an optimal extraction solvent will aid in reliably measuring fur to determine the impact of chronic stress on koalas.