@article {69790, title = {An updated catalogue of split-GAL4 driver lines for descending neurons in Drosophila melanogaster}, journal = {bioRxiv}, year = {2025}, month = {2025 Feb 24}, abstract = {

Descending neurons (DNs) occupy a key position in the sensorimotor hierarchy, conveying signals from the brain to the rest of the body below the neck. In Drosophila melanogaster flies, approximately 480 DN cell types have been described from electron-microscopy image datasets. Genetic access to these cell types is crucial for further investigation of their role in generating behaviour. We previously conducted the first large-scale survey of Drosophila melanogaster DNs, describing 98 unique cell types from light microscopy and generating cell-type-specific split-Gal4 driver lines for 65 of them. Here, we extend our previous work, describing the morphology of 137 additional DN types from light microscopy, bringing the total number DN types identified in light microscopy datasets to 235, or nearly 50\%. In addition, we produced 500 new sparse split-Gal4 driver lines and compiled a list of previously published DN lines from the literature for a combined list of 738 split-Gal4 driver lines targeting 171 DN types.

}, doi = {10.1101/2025.02.22.639679}, url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2025/02/24/2025.02.22.639679}, author = {Zung, Jessica L. and Namiki, Shigehiro and Meissner, Geoffrey W. and Costa, Marta and Eichler, Katharina and St{\"u}rner, Tomke and Jefferis, Gregory S.X.E. and Managan, Claire and FlyLight Project Team and Korff, Wyatt and Card, Gwyneth M.} } @article {69525, title = {iTome Volumetric Serial Sectioning Apparatus for TEM}, journal = {bioRxiv}, year = {2024}, month = {2024 Jul 07}, abstract = {

An automated ultra-microtome capable of sectioning thousands of ultrathin sections onto standard TEM slot grids was developed and used to section: a complete Drosophila melanogaster first-instar larva, three sections per grid, into 4,866 34-nm-thick sections with a cutting and pickup success rate of 99.74\%; 30 microns of mouse cortex measuring roughly 400 um x 2000 um at 40 nm per slice; and a full adult Drosophila brain and ventral nerve column into 9,300 sections with a pickup success rate of 99.95\%. The apparatus uses optical interferometers to monitor a reference distance between the cutting knife and multiple sample blocks. Cut sections are picked up from the knife-boat water surface while they are still anchored to the cutting knife. Blocks without embedded tissue are used to displace tissue-containing sections away from the knife edge so that the tissue regions end up in the grid slot instead of on the grid rim.

}, doi = {10.1101/2024.07.02.601671}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.02.601671 }, author = {Peale, David R. and Hess, Harald and Lee, P. R. and Cardona, Albert and Bock, Davi D. and Schneider-Mizell, Casey and Fetter, Richard D. and Lee, Wei-Ping and Robinson, Camenzind G. and Iyer, Nirmala and Managan, Claire} }