Description
Automated metabolic phenotyping of 16 Drosophila in a benchtop system
The Sable MAVEn™ system is an integrated, compact 16-channel flow generator for small insect flow-through respirometry. It provides metabolic measurement of up to 16 animals.
Compact and cost-effective, the MAVEn packs unprecedented metabolic measurement power and versatility into a slim, easy-to-use instrument.
Metabolic Measurement
MAVEn™ maintains 16 simultaneous, individual air flows that can be regulated over the range of 5 mL/minute up to 200 mL or more/minute. Each flow is pushed into a sealed container holding an experimental animal. The system automatically selects the air flows from each chamber in succession, with optional baseline interleaving, and directs that air flow to external gas analyzers. Approximately matched flow rates are maintained through all channels simultaneously, minimizing the likelihood of hypoxia or hypercapnia within the chambers.
The voltage output from each analyzer is measured by a high resolution (16 bit) analog-to-digital converter. Up to 6 external voltages can be monitored and voltages can be transformed to user-defined units. Gas analyzers may include O2, CO2, H2O, or any other detectable gases. Animal activity levels, barometric pressure, ambient temperature and light levels can also be monitored.
Data Management and Reporting
MAVEn is fully programmable for all aspects of its operation and can operate under computer control or as a stand-alone instrument. The system can record data to a computer, or to an internal SD card. The data are date and time stamped using an accurate internal real-time clock. MAVEn files can be loaded directly into Sable Systems ExpeData or Microsoft Excel for further analysis.
Second-by-second activity of a single fly over a 10-hour period in a multiplexed arrangement of N=16 flies. Activity monitoring and VCO2 demonstrate the MAVEn’s ability to identify periods of rest and activity and how VCO2 closely tracks activity levels. Further, the data show how activity changes with photoperiod.
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