Abstract
Bisphenol F (BPF) is a chemical analog of bisphenol A (BPA) that is used in the manufacturing of BPA-free plastics. BPA is a known endocrine disrupting factor that has also been implicated in neurodevelopmental impairment; it has therefore been banned for use in childhood products in the United States. Since BPA has been banned, many analogs of BPA have been substituted into the manufacturing of these products, even though little is known about their toxicity. Our lab studies the impact of bisphenol analogs on neural development using two genetically different Drosophila melanogaster strains: wild-type and a Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) model. Previous work from our lab studying BPA’s impact on behavior and cellular phenotypes showed negative impacts on neurodevelopment in wild-type flies, but oppositional impacts on the FXS model. Here, we aim to describe our experimental design for determining how BPF impacts behavior, neuronal phenotypes, and molecular phenotypes. We describe our lab’s BPA study and results, which informed our approach.