Posts Tagged ‘fruit flies’
How fruit flies say no to extra-salty food
UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — New research explains how an animal chooses low salt over high salt, and unravels the mechanism for how their gustatory receptor neurons get activated. Continue…
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 10:57 - 0 Comments
Top Stories - May 22, 2013 10:48 - 0 Comments
Parasitic wasps suck calcium out of flies
EMORY (US) — By draining calcium from the blood cells of fruit flies, parasitic wasps are able to switch off the flies’ immune system, new research shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 25, 2013 10:51 - 0 Comments
For protection, fruit fly ‘babies’ booze it up
EMORY (US) — To combat deadly parasitic wasps, fruit fly moms lay their eggs in an alcohol-soaked environment, essentially forcing their larvae to consume a toxic cocktail. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 11, 2012 12:20 - 0 Comments
In ALS, gene flaw leads key proteins astray
PURDUE (US) — A biochemist has determined the function of a gene which, when mutated, leads to a genetic variation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 16, 2012 11:56 - 3 Comments
Test puts Alzheimer’s drug search on fast track
PRINCETON (US) — An efficient, high-volume technique for testing potential drugs for Alzheimer’s has uncovered an organic compound that restores motor function and longevity to fruit flies with the disease. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 6, 2012 13:06 - 2 Comments
Big brain lets larva ‘see’ without seeing
U. VIRGINIA (US) — The very simple eyes of a fruit fly larva can see just enough light to allow the animal’s relatively large brain to assemble that input into images. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 29, 2012 12:11 - 2 Comments
Is early adversity embedded in our biology?
U. TORONTO (CAN) — Forget nature versus nurture. A growing body of evidence suggests early experiences and biology interact to shape human development. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 17, 2012 14:48 - 0 Comments
Flies take their ‘European’ genes back to Africa
UC DAVIS (US) — When ancestral humans walked out of Africa tens of thousands of years ago, Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies came along with them. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 12, 2012 12:09 - 1 Comment
To check out seizures, ‘knock-in’ genes
BROWN (US) — Scientists have created fruit flies with a gene mutation analogous to one that causes epileptic seizures in people—a first in genetic engineering. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 18, 2012 11:43 - 0 Comments
‘Straightjacket’ may spell disaster for overheated flies
MONASH U. (AUS) — Many fruit fly species may face extinction in the near future due to an evolutionary “straitjacket” that makes it difficult for them to adapt to rising global temperatures. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 2, 2012 10:57 - 1 Comment
Slower fruit fly sperm may win the race
SYRACUSE U. (US) — It’s assumed that faster sperm have an edge in the race to fertilize the egg—but slower swimmers may have an advantage over their faster rivals. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 1, 2012 17:18 - 0 Comments
‘Fossil’ virus lurks in fruit fly genes
U. BUFFALO (US) — The discovery of virus-like genes in fruit fly DNA could help scientists determine whether animals hijack viral genes as an anti-viral defense. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jun 5, 2012 13:27 - 1 Comment
‘Restless legs’ gene wakes up sleeping flies
EMORY (US) — Mutations in a gene linked to restless legs syndrome (RLS) in humans appear to disturb sleep in fruit flies. (more…)
Top Stories - Apr 25, 2012 10:18 - 2 Comments
With RNA edits, fly guys lose mating skill
BROWN (US) — Scientists find that “locking down” RNA’s self-editing process at two extremes creates strange behaviors in fruit flies. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Apr 4, 2012 15:09 - 0 Comments
Protein’s ‘long-haul’ signals build the body
BROWN (US) — Biologists have found a new molecule in fruit flies that is key to the information exchange needed to build wings properly. (more…)
Science & Technology - Mar 5, 2012 11:17 - 0 Comments
Signal ‘remodels’ the body from larva to fly
WASHINGTON U.-ST. LOUIS (US) — New research helps explain how biochemical signals prompt the dramatic body changes in a fruit fly’s lifecycle. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 16, 2012 13:21 - 3 Comments
Sick fruit flies self-medicate with alcohol
EMORY (US) — Fruit flies infected with a blood-borne parasite consume alcohol to self-medicate, a behavior that greatly increases their survival rate. (more…)
Top Stories - Feb 10, 2012 11:01 - 0 Comments
Older flies with sexy smell turn on males
U. MICHIGAN (US) — Changes in pheromone production that occur with age can reduce sexual attractiveness, according to a recent study with fruit flies. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 23, 2011 12:53 - 0 Comments
How ‘sensitive’ body parts cope with change
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Some body parts are more sensitive to environmental change than others, a finding that may lead to better ways of treating a variety of diseases, including type 2 diabetes. (more…)
