Advanced Techniques in Biology & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

A Protocol to Generate Germ Free Drosophila for Microbial Interaction Studies

Debabrat Sabat, Eldin M Johnson, Arra Abhinay, Rasu Jayabalan and Monalisa Mishra

Drosophila (fly) gut is used as a model system to study the host microbe interaction. Various developmental, physiological, functional and immunological similarities exist between the gut of the vertebrate and the fly. These similarities advocates their utility as a model system for the study of various gut related diseases. Wild type flies found in its natural environment and those raised in the enclosed laboratory conditions have their own natural microbiota colonizing the gut. This natural gut microbiota may interfere with orally administered microbe-Drosophila interaction studies. To overcome this problem various labs are in the process of raising germ free flies. Germ free Drosophila is completely devoid of intestinal microbiota or any kind of microbial colonization. These germ free fly would be helpful as powerful model in exploring the role of a particular microbial strain or a specific microbial genera interacting with the host in isolation either in the mono- or poly-associated state unravelling the complex interplay between bacteria and the host. The current paper describes a protocol to generate a germ free fly for use in microbial interaction studies.