Tag Archives: fruit flies

Journal Club: Illuminating the neurons that help fruit fly larvae escape danger

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Carolyn Beans

Disturb fruit fly larvae with sharp jabs or intense heat and they’ll respond the same way every time. “They always roll two or three times, and then stop rolling and land away from the noxious thing,” says neuroscientist Kazuo Emoto … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Fruit flies use a protective reflex to kick mites off their wings

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Charles Choi

Predatory mites are only 200 to 300 micrometers long, but to 3 millimeter-long fruit flies, these tiny arachnids pose as much of a threat as a rat-sized blood-sucking tick would to a human. Now scientists find that fruit flies have … Continue reading →

Categories: Journal Club | Neuroscience | Tagged flies, fruit flies, mechanosensing, Nanchung | Leave a comment

Journal Club: “Sandman” molecule controls when fruit flies wake up

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Charles Choi

Sleep cuts people off from the outside world, which entails considerable risks and costs that scientists reason must be counterbalanced by a vital but enigmatic benefit. Now scientists have discovered what makes a switch flip in the brains of fruit … Continue reading →

Categories: Journal Club | Neuroscience | Tagged circadian, dopamine, fruit flies, homeostat, neurons, optogenetics, sleep | Leave a comment