Apparatus for visual place learning through aversive conditioning in Drosophila melanogaster

Learning and memory studies in Drosophila melanogaster have led to advances in understanding fly and mammalian genetics and neurophysiology. Despite extensive studies, there remain gaps in the scientific literature concerning genes and neural pathways involved in learning and memory. There are differences in the memory traces between olfactory and visual memory, yet visual learning has not been studied to the same extent as olfactory learning. Visual place learning has only recently been addressed. We offer a new apparatus for studying visual place learning in D. melanogaster. The new apparatus offers a compelling and cost-effective approach to investigating visual place learning. The most notable difference between the new apparatus and others designed for visual place learning is the use of Peltier units in conjunction with a hydraulic system to supply heat used as a negative stimulus, with the advantages of even heat distribution, ease of construction, and ease of operation.