College of the Holy Cross 2 articles published in JoVE Neuroscience A Behavioral Assay for Mechanosensation of MARCM-based Clones in Drosophila melanogaster Timothy P. Murphy1,2, Dan D. Luu1, Jessica A. DeSimone1,3, Thomas C. O'Brien1,4, Christopher J. Lally1,5, Jillian J. Lindblad1,6, Sarah M. Webster1 1Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, 2School of Medicine, Georgetown University, 3Department of Biochemistry, Giesel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, 4School of Medicine, Tufts University, 5Transgenomic Inc., 6Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, UMass Medical School In order to identify novel mutations affecting mechanosensation, we designed an assay that measures the behavioral response to tactile stimulation of fly bristles in mutant clones generated by the MARCM method. The combination of techniques allows for the identification of mechanosensitive mutations that would otherwise be lethal. Developmental Biology Optimization of the Wound Scratch Assay to Detect Changes in Murine Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Migration After Damage by Soluble Cigarette Smoke Extract Nicholas Cormier*1, Alexander Yeo*1, Elizabeth Fiorentino1, Julia Paxson1 1Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross The capacity to migrate is a key function of many different cell types, including mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, quantifying alterations in migratory capacity after damage is challenging. This protocol describes an easily adaptable migration assay that uses rigorous statistics to quantify changes in MSC migratory capacity after damage.
