In recent years the use of insects (particularly Drosophila melanogaster) as model organisms in biomedical research has become widespread. Reasons include ease of rearing and handling, short generation times, well characterized genomes, and established genetic manipulation methods.

Sable Systems International is the only firm with the capability and cited track record of producing reasearch-quality data on the metabolic rates of individual Drosophila. Acquiring data on individual metabolic rates is a requirement for the adequate statistical testing of many experimental hypotheses.

Contact us for a list of representative citations of our systems in the peer-reviewed literature.

For our biomedical customers, we produce three systems for the metabolic screening of individual Drosophila and other small model animals. The systems come with on-site setup and training from our USA or EU branches.

The BTR-2-SA system is designed for real-time metabolic measurements of individual insects ranging in size from individual Drosophila to approximately 5 g. Metabolic rate is assayed by CO2 emission rate. One animal is measured at a time, manually. Analysis is automatic. Available options:

The -W option adds water vapor measurement, which is an index of spiracular area and conveys useful information about neuromuscular integrity. 

The -A option adds photoelectric activity detection.

The -T option adds temperature control with ramping and stepping capability, and is primarily designed for thermal stress experiments.

The BTR-2-MSA system is equivalent to the BTR-2-SA system but is designed for automated acquisition and analysis of metabolic data from 3, 7 or more insects sequentially. BTR-2-SA systems can be upgraded to BTR-2-MSA systems at any time. Available options include those list above, plus:

-X where X is the maximum number of insects to be screened sequentially within an automated experiment (3, 7, 15, 23 or 31). 

The BTR-3-MSA system adds the ability to measure the respiratory quotient, and thus the type of respiratory substrate being metabolized. The same options as above are available for it. 

Economy versions of these systems, suitable for obtaining integrative (not real-time) measurements on individual flies or groups of flies, are available.

To obtain a no-obligation quote, email us with the model you require. Simply combine the options you are interested in (e.g. BTR-2-MSA-7-A). The options can be listed in any order. Include any other information you wish. We'll assemble a quote for you, typically in less than 24 hours, and email or FAX it to you as requested.