VFB Chat - Blank Question Template

Use this template for your own questions

After working through the example problems, use this blank template to explore your own neurons of interest:

Your Question Here

Type your question in the chat box:

[Enter your question about Drosophila neuroanatomy]

Tips for Good Questions

1. Be specific — Use neuron names, VFB IDs, or FlyBase IDs

   • ✅ “DA1 lPN neurons”
   • ✅ “VFB_jrchjtdb”
   • ✅ “FBbt_00003748” (medulla)

2. Ask for identifiers — Always request VFB IDs for reproducibility

   • “…and give me the VFB IDs”
   • “…with their dataset names”

3. Specify the dataset when it matters

   • “in FlyWire”
   • “in the male-CNS”
   • “in BANC”

4. One step at a time — Chain related questions

   • First: “Find all X neurons”
   • Then: “Show me the top partners of [ID from above]”
   • Then: “What’s the expression profile of [type from above]?”

Example Questions to Try

• “Where do Kenyon cells project in the mushroom body?”
• “What are the marker genes for dopaminergic neurons?”
• “Show me all neurons in the antennal lobe with their VFB IDs”
• “Which connectomes have data on the central complex?”
• “What neurons are similar to VFB_jrchjtdb by morphology?”

Capture Your Results

After getting your answer:

1. Screenshot the chat for your notes
2. Copy the VFB IDs for use in Python or the 3D browser
3. Note the dataset names for cross-dataset comparisons

Ready to start? Open chat.virtualflybrain.org and type your first question!