Abstract

The experiment was completed to find what effect immunosuppressants have on behavior. It was hypothesized if drosophila are treated with immunosuppressants Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, Leflunomide then it will affect the behavior. Also, if immunosuppressants affect behavior then they will cause a hyperactive response. For the Timelapse Assay, anesthetize drosophila using Flynap or Co2. Place 10 drosophila into a petri dish. While flies adjust set up a camera. Let the camera record for 1 hour. Analyze the footage. For the Larvae Crawling Assay, use a brush to transfer individual larvae to a petri dish containing 2% agarose. Place graph over a 0.2 cm squared grid. Count number of gridlines crossed in 1 min. For the Monitoring Assay, transfer drosophila to a petri dish. Allow flies to adjust. Place petri dish under a dissection microscope. Record behaviors for 10 min. For the RING Assay, transfer drosophila to the RING apparatus/test tube. Set up camera 1 ft away on a tripod. Set a 3-sec timer on the camera. Pick up and hit the apparatus on the table 3 times. On the 3rd hit start the timer. After the experiment, both hypotheses were proven correct as the data illustrated and an increase in hyperactivity. It was concluded that Tacrolimus has the strongest effect on behavior changes followed by Sirolimus and then Leflunomide. The experiment aimed to analyze the side effects of immunosuppressant medications.