The larval plate test has been used by researchers as a choice test to study the response of terrestrial larvae to various external cues. We describe here a laboratory exercise using third instar larvae of wild-type Drosophila to study the response toward multiple cues including olfactory as well as physical environmental cues such as light. The experiment can be easily carried out in an undergraduate lab and does not require any sophisticated instruments or equipment. The results of a series of experiments indicate the extent of response that each of the cue generates relative to the other. The highlight of the article however is the pre-lab discussion that can be done with students by putting forth various possible designs followed by discussion regarding the benefits and/or errors that could creep into the results obtained by using a particular design. Such a discussion would prove to be helpful in enhancing student understanding of experimental design, especially in designing experiments in animal behavior. The article also includes an extended theoretical problem set that can be used by facilitators in an undergraduate classroom activity.
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August 2023
Research Article|
August 01 2023
The Larval Plate Assay: An Exercise to Enhance Undergraduate Students’ Understanding of Experimental Design in Behavioral Assays
Anupama Ronad,
ANUPAMA RONAD is a scientific officer at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 088, India.
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Rekha Vartak
REKHA VARTAK was formerly a professor at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 088, India.
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The American Biology Teacher (2023) 85 (6): 343–350.
Citation
Anupama Ronad, Rekha Vartak; The Larval Plate Assay: An Exercise to Enhance Undergraduate Students’ Understanding of Experimental Design in Behavioral Assays. The American Biology Teacher 1 August 2023; 85 (6): 343–350. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2023.85.6.343
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