VIRTUAL LAB TOUR

Welcome to our Virtual Lab Tour

We study the neural and molecular mechanisms of reward, memory and addiction using the fruit (or vinegar) fly, Drosophila melanogaster.

We are interested in understanding why memories for cues associated with the experience of being intoxicated are so long lasting. These memories can trigger cravings, which may elicit relapse to drug seeking and use. Thus, understanding the molecules required for formation and expression of these memories is key to finding more effective treatments for alcohol and substance use disorders.

Our lab is located on the 3rd floor of Sidney Frank Hall, 185 Meeting St., Providence, RI.

Scroll down to take the virtual lab tour by Lab Manager Reza Azanchi, and to watch to some of the Kaun Lab members speak about their projects in the lab.

02:50

Molecular Bay 1 Look at all the stuff for analyzing genes and RNA!	Molecular Bay 2 Look at all the stuff for analyzing protein!	Windows in the Kaun Lab At the end of each bay are 4 desks and a window. We love natural light (as long as it's not in the behavior room)!	Kaun Lab Fly Pushing Room We have six CO2 stations with plenty of space for fly storage. The room is kept at 20C which necessitates sweaters.
Kaun Lab Fly Pushing Station We have an additional two dissecting scopes that are fitted with cameras linked to ipads to help visualize complicated dissections.	Multi-Purpose Bay Kaun Lab We've turned this into a behavior, design & fabrication, and molecular bay. We have two FlyGrAM apparatuses, a soldering and building station, an imaging station and a molecular bench here.	Behavior Room Kaun Lab We have four behavior boxes and a behavior fumehood in this room. Each behavior box is equipped with temperature, humidity and light controls. The behavior room currently holds two boxes for ethanol conditioning, one for sucrose conditioning, and one houses the automated Fly BEER assay.	Automated Behavior Tracking Two of our behavior chambers in the behavior room are set-up with apparatuses that allow automated analysis of behavior. This provides high content data and saves time!
BEER Run Kaun Lab The Behavioral Expression of Ethanol Reinforcement Runway (BEER Run) is an automated runway apparatus to measure how Drosophila respond to consecutive exposures of a volatilized substance.	Odor Memory Conditioning Apparatus Kaun Lab Flies are trained for odor-ethanol or odor-sucrose memory in chambers that hold odors and alcohol vapor. Memory for odors is tested in a Y-maze or T-maze.	T-Maze Drosophila Olfactory Memory During a Y-maze test we stream odors through two arms of the Y, and flies climb from the bottom of the Y to make a choice between the two odors.	T-Maze Drosophila Olfactory Memory During a T-maze test a vacuum line is used to suck odors through through two arms of the T. Flies are placed in the center of the T and video tracked while making a choice between the two odors.
Ethanol Exposure and Conditioning Chamber Experiments are all done in a temperature and humidity controlled chamber under red light. Ethanol and odors are carefully controlled using flowmeters.	Image Analysis Station We LOVE looking at pretty fly brains! We have three high resolution imaging stations to process high content images of brains.	Fly on the Ball Calcium Imaging Both of our 2P microscopes are housed in a room that is temperature, humidity and light controlled for careful behavior analysis. Moveable vacuum ports allow for rapid elimination of odors and ethanol.	Two-Photon In Vivo Imaging Station We view neural activity while we deliver volatilized substances to flies and track them as they walk on a ball.
Calcium Imaging Station We have one Galvo and one Resonance two-photon microscope housed in the lab. Our laser is and Insight DeepSee broadly tunable laser that allows visualization of GCaMP and RCaMPs.

Welcome to our Virtual Lab Tour

Reza Azanchi Narrated Lab Tour

Dr. Natalie D'Silva

Kavin Nunez

Amanda Waterman

Dr. John Hernandez

Tariq Brown

Molecular Bay 1

Look at all the stuff for analyzing genes and RNA!

Molecular Bay 2

Look at all the stuff for analyzing protein!

Windows in the Kaun Lab

At the end of each bay are 4 desks and a window. We love natural light (as long as it's not in the behavior room)!

Kaun Lab Fly Pushing Room

We have six CO2 stations with plenty of space for fly storage. The room is kept at 20C which necessitates sweaters.

Kaun Lab Fly Pushing Station

We have an additional two dissecting scopes that are fitted with cameras linked to ipads to help visualize complicated dissections.

Multi-Purpose Bay Kaun Lab

We've turned this into a behavior, design & fabrication, and molecular bay. We have two FlyGrAM apparatuses, a soldering and building station, an imaging station and a molecular bench here.

Behavior Room Kaun Lab

We have four behavior boxes and a behavior fumehood in this room. Each behavior box is equipped with temperature, humidity and light controls. The behavior room currently holds two boxes for ethanol conditioning, one for sucrose conditioning, and one houses the automated Fly BEER assay.

Automated Behavior Tracking

Two of our behavior chambers in the behavior room are set-up with apparatuses that allow automated analysis of behavior. This provides high content data and saves time!

BEER Run Kaun Lab

The Behavioral Expression of Ethanol Reinforcement Runway (BEER Run) is an automated runway apparatus to measure how Drosophila respond to consecutive exposures of a volatilized substance.

Odor Memory Conditioning Apparatus Kaun Lab

Flies are trained for odor-ethanol or odor-sucrose memory in chambers that hold odors and alcohol vapor. Memory for odors is tested in a Y-maze or T-maze.

T-Maze Drosophila Olfactory Memory

During a Y-maze test we stream odors through two arms of the Y, and flies climb from the bottom of the Y to make a choice between the two odors.

T-Maze Drosophila Olfactory Memory

During a T-maze test a vacuum line is used to suck odors through through two arms of the T. Flies are placed in the center of the T and video tracked while making a choice between the two odors.

Ethanol Exposure and Conditioning Chamber

Experiments are all done in a temperature and humidity controlled chamber under red light. Ethanol and odors are carefully controlled using flowmeters.

Image Analysis Station

We LOVE looking at pretty fly brains! We have three high resolution imaging stations to process high content images of brains.

Fly on the Ball Calcium Imaging

Both of our 2P microscopes are housed in a room that is temperature, humidity and light controlled for careful behavior analysis. Moveable vacuum ports allow for rapid elimination of odors and ethanol.

Two-Photon In Vivo Imaging Station

We view neural activity while we deliver volatilized substances to flies and track them as they walk on a ball.

Calcium Imaging Station

We have one Galvo and one Resonance two-photon microscope housed in the lab. Our laser is and Insight DeepSee broadly tunable laser that allows visualization of GCaMP and RCaMPs.