Related topics: current biology · fruit flies

Young genes found to adapt faster than old ones

A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the University of Sussex in the UK shows that the age of a gene determines how fast they adapt. These findings demonstrate how gene evolution ...

A window into the fruit fly's nervous system

Scientists at EPFL have developed an implantation technique that allows unprecedented optical access to the "spinal cord" of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. This work can potentially lead to breakthroughs in the fields ...

Fruit flies adapt activity to 'white nights'

Evolution takes place constantly, everywhere in nature. Nevertheless, it is always exciting for biologists to observe evolution "in real time." One such opportunity for observation is currently being presented by the internal ...

Coaxing jellyfish, flies and mice to regenerate body parts

Caltech researchers have discovered certain conditions that enable different laboratory animals to regenerate amputated appendages. Upon consuming a diet high in sugar and an essential amino acid, three different species—the ...

So-called 'junk' DNA plays a key role in speciation

More than 10 percent of our genome is made up of repetitive, seemingly nonsensical stretches of genetic material called satellite DNA that do not code for any proteins. In the past, some scientists have referred to this DNA ...

Controlling carbs and fat: Learning from the fruit fly

Incretins are hormones secreted by intestinal cells that regulate pancreatic insulin and glucagon to control sugar metabolism in mammals. Although counterparts of insulin and glucagon have been identified in invertebrates, ...

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