Date of Award

Spring 5-2026

Language

English

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biological Science

Advisor/Committee Chair

Max Turner

Committee Member

Richard Cunningham

Abstract

Navigation in complex environments requires precise visual processing. To move effectively through their surroundings, animals must orient toward and maintain fixation on objects of interest to preserve a stable heading. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this behavior remain poorly understood. We use Drosophila melanogaster as our model organism because its visual behavior can be precisely measured and the availability of genetic tools which enables us to perturb the underlying neural circuits. Using a closed-loop virtual reality environment combined with locomotion tracking, we developed a stimulus protocol that reliably elicits fixation responses. To determine whether specific visual neurons drive fixation responses, we use tetanus toxin light chain (TeTxLC) and inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Kir2.1) to block neurotransmitter release in neurons we suspect contribute to fixation, including T2 and T3. Our results show that silencing either T2 or T3 disrupts fixation behavior, indicating that both neuron types are required for visually guided tracking. Together, these findings provide insight into how visual information is transformed into oriented movement and highlight the role of T2 and T3 neurons in this process.

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