Kayly Lembke

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Kayly has a PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine.

Articles by Kayly Lembke

Gender Reveal: How to Determine the Gender of Drosophila Larvae

Gender Reveal: How to Determine the Gender of Drosophila Larvae

Drosophila melanogaster, otherwise known as the common fruit fly, is one of the oldest and most powerful model systems used in biology. Fruit flies are cheap to maintain, and have a shorter life cycle and higher fecundity than mammalian models. They also have extraordinary genetic tools with which to investigate many molecular and cellular questions….

Image of a fruit fly (drosophila melanogaster) on a metal rod

RNA Isolation from Drosophila – Don’t Let the Cuticle Scare You!

Isolating RNA from either Drosophila larvae or adult heads can seem a bit daunting, primarily due to the presence of the cuticle. The cuticle is a protective exoskeleton comprised of insoluble collagens, cuticlins, glycoproteins, and lipids. While it may take some force to remove the cuticle, you can do this easily and without compromising your…

The 31 Flavors of Drosophila Electrophysiology Recording Solutions

The 31 Flavors of Drosophila Electrophysiology Recording Solutions

If you want to know what is going on in the brain of drosophila you can use neurobiology imaging techniques to get a global whole-brain perspective. However, such techniques are slow compared to the rapid nature of the neuronal electrical activity, which may be better studied using Drosophila electrophysiology. Lab techniques are often shrouded in…