Tag Archive for 'Drosophila melanogaster'

Syntretus perlmani, an adult male approximately 1.5 mm in length. Scale bar - 1 mm. Image credit: Moore et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07919-7.

New Parasitic Wasp Species Discovered in Eastern US

Sep 17, 2024 by Natali Anderson

Syntretus perlmani infects the adult stage of fruit flies in the genus Drosophila, including one of the most deeply studied model organisms in biology,...

Alkaliphile is a new taste receptor dedicated to sensing the alkaline pH of food. Image credit: Yali Zhang, Monell Chemical Senses Center.

Scientists Identify Taste Receptor for Alkaline pH

Mar 20, 2023 by News Staff

Monell Chemical Senses Center researcher Yali Zhang and colleagues identified a previously unknown chloride ion channel, which they named alkaliphile (Alka),...

Drosophila melanogaster and other non-migrating animals can sense external magnetic fields. Image credit: University of Manchester.

Animals’ Ability to Sense Magnetic Field May Be More Widespread than Previously Thought

Feb 23, 2023 by News Staff

New research led by University of Leicester and University of Manchester scientists shows that a molecule present in all living cells called flavin adenine...

Yang et al. provide new insights into the mechanisms by which blue light interferes with vital metabolic pathways that are conserved between fly and human cells. Image credit: Pexels.

Excessive Blue Light Leads to Accelerated Aging in Fruit Flies, Research Finds

Aug 31, 2022 by News Staff

Blue light is becoming increasingly prevalent in artificial illumination, raising concerns about its potential health hazard to humans. In a new study,...

Song et al. show that damaging effects of blue light at the organismal level are strongly age dependent and are associated with reduced activity of specific components of energy-producing pathways in mitochondria. Image credit: Pexels.

Damaging Effects of Blue Light Exposure Worsen with Age, New Research Suggests

Jul 28, 2022 by News Staff

Blue light is a predominant component of light emitting devices, which are increasingly present in our environment. There is already accumulating evidence...

Left: a 3D illustration of the nucleus representing the classical theory of DNA organization at its center. Right: microscopic image of the nucleus of a fruit fly larva’s muscle cell; the long chains of DNA (red) are attached to the nuclear lamina (green) -- the inner layer of the nuclear membrane. Image credit: Weizmann Institute of Science.

New Images Reveal 3D Chromatin Organization in Live Cell Nuclei

Sep 10, 2021 by News Staff

Chromatin is a substance within a chromosome consisting of DNA and protein. The major proteins in chromatin are histones, which help package the DNA in...

The buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Image credit: Myriam.

Neonicotinoid Insecticides Disrupt Sleep of Bees and Fruit Flies, New Research Shows

Jan 22, 2021 by Enrico de Lazaro

Neonicotinoid insecticides, such as imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid, affect the amount of sleep taken by both buff-tailed bumblebees...

Drosophila melanogaster. Image credit: Botaurus.

Fruit Flies Spontaneously Form Orderly Groups

Jan 30, 2020 by News Staff

According to new research, opposing desires to congregate and maintain some personal space drive fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to form orderly...

Hospital insects present a potential to contribute to persistence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the hospital environment. Image credit: Virvoreanu Laurentiu.

‘Milk Yeast’ Originated from Chance Encounter between Fruit Fly and Milk 5,500 Years Ago

Dec 8, 2019 by The Conversation

Historians often trace the dawn of human civilization back 10,000 years, when Neolithic tribes first settled and began farming in the Fertile Crescent,...

Insects Experience Chronic Pain after Serious Injury

Jul 15, 2019 by News Staff

Insects can enter a neuropathic pain-like state after nerve injury, according to a new study in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Khuong et al offer...

The receptors required for the gustatory responses to sour compounds have been elusive. Rimal et al discover a Drosophila taste receptor, IR7a, which is required for rejecting a sour chemical. Surprisingly, IR7a is narrowly tuned to acetic acid, suggesting that carboxylic acids are detected by a repertoire of receptors. Image credit: Rimal et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.042.

Scientists Identify Sour Taste Receptor in Fruit Flies

Feb 6, 2019 by News Staff

Sour taste allows for the detection of hydrogen ions and organic acids. It is one of the five basic tastes and, along with other chemical and textural...

Multicellular organisms eliminate abnormal but viable cells based on their fitness status through cell competition to maintain tissue integrity. Coelho et al report that fitness-based neuronal selection occurs in the course of neurodegeneration. Death of unfit neurons is beneficial, protecting against disease progression by restoring motor and cognitive functions. Image credit: Coelho et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.098.

Neuronal Loss May Have Beneficial Effect in Alzheimer’s Disease

Dec 28, 2018 by News Staff

Neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease may be the result of a cell quality control mechanism trying to protect the brain from the accumulation of malfunctioning...