Farragut Fan Club – Artworks! 2015
Auction Ends: Apr 24, 2015 01:00 AM PDT

Unique Experiences

One of a Kind Opportunity....Tour of UCLA Research Lab with Dr. Mark Frye

Item Number
302
Sold
50 USD to peachygum
Number of Bids
1  -  Bid History

Item Description

Tour a UCLA science lab studying nature's ultimate flying machine (the fly)! Mark Frye, a Farragut Dad, is a professor studying how the fruit fly brain processes information from different sensory modalities (vision and smell).
(See the lab's website at www.ibp.ucla.edu/research/frye/index.htm)
He studies fruit flies because although their brain is the size of a poppy seed, they process information in much the same way as we humans (but much faster!). The lab merges techniques from biology and engineering, using genetic mutant animals and electronic "virtual reality" arenas that simulate natural walking and flying behavior - like video games for flies. This is like a nature show on steroids! The winning bid will be provided a hands-on tour of the laboratory, to see the various high-tech gizmos used to study visual and olfactory sensory behavior (the kids will love this). You will have a chance to look at flies through a microscope, see some great movies of flies flying, and afterward take a stroll across the lovely UCLA campus to get a cup of coffee (and a snack for the little ones), paid by Dr. Frye. The Physiology program at UCLA is ranked #1 in the USA, and within the top 5 in the world.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how science is really done at an internationally recognized university research laboratory. The tour schedule is flexible, but would generally occur between 10-4. If you're able, plan for 1.5-2 hours on campus, roughly one hour in the lab and up to one hour for a campus stroll, time permitting.

 

Item Special Note

This item is only available for pick up from Farragut Elementary School in Culver City, CA.