fruit flies

From fruit fly to this guy: a map of one tiny brain may show how larger ones work

5:23pm October 02, 2024

by Jon Hamilton

The first full map of an adult fruit fly’s brain shows 50 million connections between neurons. Researchers are using the map to learn how all brains work.

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AI met fruit fly, and a better brain model emerged

7:13am September 17, 2024

A virtual version of a fruit fly’s visual system could help scientists understand how brain networks process information. The model could also lead to more efficient AI systems.

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To study emotions in animals, scientists need to look beneath feelings to the brain states that produce certain behaviors.

In jumpy flies and fiery mice, scientists see the roots of human emotions

5:11am April 06, 2022

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are trying to understand PTSD and other human disorders by studying emotion-related brain circuits in animals, which research suggests may have a lot in common with the human brain.

After scientists screened over 8,000 genes in fruit flies, only one, which hadn't been described before, triggered sleepiness.

Sick And Tired? Scientists Find Protein That Puts Flies To Sleep And Fights Infection

2:13pm January 31, 2019

by Jonathan Lambert

In the search for what triggers sleep, researchers stumbled upon a link between sleep and the immune system. A single fly gene gets turned on in sick flies, inducing sleep and an immune response.

Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, is a mainstay of genetics and biology labs.

When And Where Fruit Flies First Bugged Humans

4:53pm December 06, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Drosophila melanogaster is a mainstay of genetics labs, but its wild origins have been mysterious. Scientists have now traced the pesky fly to a particular fruit — a human favorite 10,000 years ago.

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The DelFly Nimble in flight. The robot was inspired by the agile movements of the fruit fly.

Science

WATCH: Flapping Robot Sheds Light On How Fruit Flies Move

2:28pm September 13, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The scientists were inspired by the super-agile fruit fly. And by designing this robot, they've figured out some of the mysteries of one of the fly's fanciest maneuvers.

Female Drosophila bifurca flies have an organ to store sperm (right) that male flies compete to fill, crowding out rivals.

For Female Fruit Flies, Mr. Right Has The Biggest Sperm

8:25pm May 25, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

It's not unusual for males to try to impress females with big body parts. Consider antlers on deer, or elaborate tails on peacocks. Some male fruit flies take a different approach: giant sperm.

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'You Are Getting Sleepy,' Said The Scientist To The Fruit Fly

12:45pm May 19, 2016

by Bret Stetka

Research on sleep-deprived fruit flies identified specific brain cells that can trigger sleep. The finding of these sleep circuits in insects could help scientists better understand human insomnia.

Stephen Jenner, from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, sprays an insecticide under an avocado tree where some Oriental fruit flies were found in Homestead, Fla.

This Pest Has Shut Down South Florida's $700 Million Fruit Industry

6:54pm September 22, 2015

by Greg Allen

Officials have quarantined 85 square miles of farmland in a fight to halt the spread of the destructive Oriental fruit fly. The freeze comes just as growers were starting to harvest tropical fruits.

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Rough night? Depending on specific tweaks to their genes, some fruit flies have trouble falling asleep, and others can't stay asleep. Getting too little shut-eye hurts their memory.

How Research On Sleepless Fruit Flies Could Help Human Insomniacs

5:59pm September 18, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Research on fruit flies with different types of insomnia has revealed the same brain pathways that interfere with sleep in people. The result may be better sleeping pills that don't leave you groggy.

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