DrosoTracker

We track the life cycle, not behaviour.

Tracks the Drosophila melanogaster life cycle, tasks and lifespan. Temperature-dependent development model (thermal summation, threshold ≈ 11.8 °C · ~116 degree-days, calibrated for ~15–28 °C). Estimated times · Data stored locally in your browser.

New record

Enter the genotype, set-up date and incubation temperature.

Experiment(s)?

Objective?

Stage to dissect:

Genotype *?

A cross needs females of one genotype and males of another. Each keeps its own set-up date, temperature and counts.

Genotype A *

Set-up date and time * Incubation temperature (°C) * Adult flies (optional)

Container (optional)

Genotype B *

Set-up date and time * Incubation temperature (°C) * Adult flies (optional)

Container (optional)

Condition(s)?

Set-up date and time *?

Incubation temperature (°C) *?

Adult flies (optional)

Container (optional)

Comments (optional)

Planning

Upcoming events and reverse scheduling.

📆 Upcoming events

⏪ Plan backward

When to set it up to reach a stage by a target date?

Experiment(s)

Genotype

Objective

Stage to dissect:

I want to reach

Temperature (°C)

Log flip / count

Check date and time

Dead flies at this check

Censored (escaped, stuck, accidents)

Removed from the at-risk group without counting as deaths (Kaplan-Meier).

Flipped the cohort to fresh food

Note (optional)

Import lab database

Which column has the genotype?

The first row is assumed to be the column headers.

Preview

Add a column with the tray/task name to also create (or update) recurring tasks from this same file (you can add responsible, frequency and next-due too). Matched by task name, so re-importing later updates them instead of duplicating.

Create task

Chores that repeat on a schedule (stock flips, cleaning…), each with its own responsible person(s). Create one by hand, or import a whole sheet from "Import lab database".

New recurring task

E.g. stock flips, cleaning… anything that repeats on a schedule.

Task title *

Description (optional)

Responsible person(s)?

If you add more than one, they take turns in that order each time the task is marked done.

Repeats every (days) *

Next due date *

Calibrate a genotype

Fine-tune the development model for a specific genotype using a real observation.

Use as my lab's wild-type reference (calibrates the base model for all genotypes)

Genotype *

How well do you know the egg-lay start (t₀)?

Egg-lay start (t₀) *

Keep the egg-lay window short (1–3 h): remove the parents afterwards so all eggs are ~the same age. That short window is what gives a good calibration.

Egg-lay window (hours)

Incubation temperature (°C) *

Calibrated genotypes

Share this calibration with your labmates so they don't have to start from zero. Export it and have them import the file (adds to theirs, doesn't replace it).

Compare cohorts

Overlay survival curves (Kaplan–Meier) and run a log-rank test between the selected cohorts.

Sample size & power

Plan a lifespan experiment: how many flies you need to detect a difference in survival with a log-rank test.

Median lifespan A (days)

Median lifespan B (days)

Significance α

Power

Run until mortality (%)

Temperature (°C)

Has about half of the flies eclosed?

or, for higher quality:

Log by count

Count the eclosed flies at 2+ time points; the app finds T₅₀ by interpolating when half was reached. More accurate than by eye.

Expected total (N)

Eclosed so far (cumulative)

Google Calendar

Push your tasks and estimated eclosions to your Google Calendar so it reminds you natively, even with the app closed.

Keep it in sync automatically

Google Calendar handles the reminders. Disconnecting stops syncing but keeps the events already created.

Install DrosoTracker

Add it to your home screen or desktop for faster access, a full-screen view without the browser bar, and offline access to your saved data.