“Establishing a screen for components of mechanosensation in Drosophila melanogaster.”
Sarah Webster, PhD, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610
 
The transformation of a mechanical stimulus into an electric code is a key first step in the process of sensing touch, sound, and balance. Relatively little is known about the proteins that make this conversion possible. We plan to use a genetic approach in Drosophila melanogaster to identify the genes necessary for the flies to respond to a touch stimulus. We will look for defects in a behavioral grooming response that relies on sensory input from a neuron similar to those found in the inner ear of mammals. We hope to discover new mutations in genes which disrupt the response to the touch stimulus in order to gain insight into the proteins involved in mechanosensation.

Sarah Webster
Assistant Professor, Biology
College of the Holy Cross
PO Box B, 1 College Street
Worcester, MA 01610
Phone: (508) 793-2212
Fax: (508) 793-2696
Email: swebster@holycross.edu