Dissection of adult Drosophila brains

The Drosophila nervous system provides a valuable model for studying various aspects of brain development and function. The postembryonic Drosophila brain is especially useful, because specific neuron types derive from specific progenitors at particular times. Elucidating the means by which diverse neuron types derive from a limited number of progenitors can contribute significantly to our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in developmental neurobiology. This protocol describes general procedures for dissecting the brain and ventral nerve cord (VNC) of adult Drosophila. The dissected tissues are suitable for further analysis, e.g., by any number of labeling techniques.