This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program, supports the development of a comprehensive cell-type-specific genetic toolkit for studying the visual system in Drosophila. The $257,750 grant will fund three key objectives over a 2-year period from February 2025 to January 2027: 1) generating a collection of gene-specific split-GAL4 driver lines that can selectively label single cell types in the developing optic lobe, 2) using single-cell multiomics data to identify enhancer fragments for creating additional cell-type-specific GAL4 drivers, and 3) combining the gene-specific and enhancer-based split-GAL4 lines to provide complete neuron coverage in the optic lobe. This toolkit will enable powerful genetic access to study the development and function of various neuronal and glial cell types in the Drosophila visual system, benefiting the broader research community.
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