Nora virus Transmission in Drosophila melanogaster: An Investigation to Teach Virulence and Pathogenic Prophylaxis to Biology Students. Darby J. Carlson¹, Wayland Weatherred^1,2, Kimberly A. Carlson¹. 1) Biology Department, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE; 2) Aspen High School, Glenwood Springs, CO.

   Proper hand hygiene accompanied with environmental surface disinfection provides a comprehensive approach to control and prevent respiratory and gastrointestinal illness in schools, hospitals, work environments and the home. The persistent non-pathogenic Nora virus common in Drosophila melanogaster is a horizontally transmitted virus that students can research and design experiments testing prophylaxis techniques for virulence and pathogenic diseases. In this study, we demonstrate Nora virus can be successfully removed by surface decontamination with 10% bleach, which was verified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The purpose of this project was to outline a laboratory investigation that allow students to use inquiry-based methods to perform an experiment, analyze data, and draw conclusions on viral inactivation from disinfectant use on Nora virus in D. melanogaster. This experiment provides students a practical investigative opportunity to apply the scientific method, reinforcing concepts introduced in lecture, and provide an opportunity for scientific research, which could ignite a spark of interest in scientific investigation unknown to them previously. This work was made possible by Grant Number P20GM103427 from the National Institute for General Medical Science, a component of the National Institutes of Health.