By Stephanie Elizabeth Mohr (笔丑顿惭颁顿叠颈辞'99)听
(Harvard University Press, 270聽pages; 2018)
A single species of fly,聽Drosophila melanogaster, has been the subject of scientific research for more than one hundred years. Why does this tiny insect merit such intense scrutiny?
Drosophila鈥檚 importance as a research organism began with its short life cycle, ability to reproduce in large numbers, and easy-to-see mutant phenotypes. Over time, laboratory investigation revealed surprising similarities between flies and other animals at the level of genes, gene networks, cell interactions, physiology, immunity, and behavior. Like humans, flies learn and remember, fight microbial infection, and slow down as they age. Scientists use聽Drosophila聽to investigate complex biological activities in a simple but intact living system. Fly research provides answers to some of the most challenging questions in biology and biomedicine, including how cells transmit signals and form ordered structures, how we can interpret the wealth of human genome data now available, and how we can develop effective treatments for cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Written by a leader in the聽Drosophila聽research community,聽First in Fly聽celebrates key insights uncovered by investigators using this model organism.聽Stephanie Elizabeth Mohr聽draws on these 鈥渇irst in fly鈥� findings to introduce fundamental biological concepts gained over the last century and explore how research in the common fruit fly has expanded our understanding of human health and disease.