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Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center at Indiana University

Grant Number: P40OD018537

Research Emphasis/Objectives Drosophila

The Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center at Indiana University collects, curates, maintains, and distributes strains of Drosophila melanogaster. The primary goal of the center is to provide the Drosophila research community access to a collection of genetically defined strains that standardize and fuel research discoveries. Emphasis is placed on providing strains with significant experimental value to a broad range of investigations. These include marker, reporter, balancer, and mapping strains; strains with mutant alleles; strains with chromosomal deficiencies and duplications; engineered strains for somatic and germline clonal analysis; RNAi strains for targeted gene knockdown; guide RNA strains for CRISPR-based gene knockout and Cas9-dependent gene expression; GAL4, UAS, QF, QUAS, LexA, and LexAop strains for targeted gene expression; engineered strains for high-efficiency transgenesis, including phiC31-mediated recombination; fully sequenced wild-type strains; and strains for modeling human disease- and health-related processes, such as those expressing human genes.

Services Provided

Approximately 76,000 fly strains are currently available to our user base of over 7,400 Drosophila researchers at nearly 2,000 institutions. To improve their value and usefulness, each strain is curated with relevant information, such as provenance, associated genes, and the potential uses of its genetic components. Users can access this information using robust search tools on the website or by browsing over 400 webpages detailing individual sets of stocks, with particular emphasis placed on human disease applications (see bdsc.indiana.edu/stocks/hd/index.html). The BDSC cross-references extensively with FlyBase, the primary access point for information on Drosophila, allowing scientists to seamlessly transition between the two websites when planning experiments. Stock Center scientists are available to answer questions about strains, Drosophila genetics, experimental design, and use of the website.

Contact Information

Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center
Department of Biology
Indiana University
1001 East 3rd Street
Bloomington, IN 47405-7005
Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center at Indiana University

Co-Principal Investigators

Kevin R. Cook, Ph.D.
Phone: 812-856-1213
kercook@indiana.edu

Annette L. Parks, Ph.D.
Phone: 812-855-5783
anlparks@indiana.edu

Xiangzhong Zheng, Ph.D.
Phone: 812-856-1213
samzheng@iu.edu

Cale Whitworth, Ph.D.
Phone: 812-855-5782
calewhit@iu.edu

Thomas C. Kaufman, Ph.D.
Phone: 812-855-3033
kaufman@indiana.edu