Hugo Bellen and Catherine Tasnier Drosophila Neurogenetics Lecture Announcement

The Hugo Bellen and Catherine Tasnier Drosophila Neurogenetics Lecture recognizes early career scientists and faculty in a key space of Drosophila research—those studying genetics as applied to neuroscience in Drosophila. Their work helps improve our understanding of how neurons develop, function, connect, and respond to stimuli to control behavior. 

Qili Liu is Assistant Professor of Anatomy at the University of California San Francisco. She uses the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system to explore how protein appetite, which is a critical aspect of nutrient balance, is regulated. In discussing her research, she shared, “One of the foundational principles of physiology is the concept of homeostasis, a term first defined by Walter Cannon in the early 1900s. Homeostasis refers to the ability of cells or biological systems to respond to perturbations and maintain functionality within a defined, biologically relevant range.” 

Liu finds the concept of a “set point” or the target state to which a system regularly returns, to be a particularly fascinating and mysterious aspect of homeostasis. “A set point is intuitively similar to setting the temperature on a thermostat, which keeps a room’s temperature stable despite changes in outside temperature,” she elaborated. As it relates to nutrient intake, Liu seeks to understand what the set point for the consumption of a specific nutrient is and how that set point is established using molecules and cells within the nervous system. “This is a longstanding mystery, and our lab has been making progress in addressing it.”

What sets flies apart as a great model system for research like this? “Female flies naturally consume more protein than males and when females are pregnant, they need even more protein! By leveraging these sex- and mating status–dependent differences in protein consumption, we identified novel molecular pathways in the nervous system that regulate a protein appetite set point,” she explained.

Liu is fascinated by Drosophila, which she describes as “an exceptionally powerful model organism that has been used for decades to uncover the genetic underpinnings of diverse biological phenomena.” This model organism has served as the foundation for many groundbreaking discoveries including understanding how an animal’s body plan is established as well as exploring complex behaviors. She points out an advantage of using fruit flies—Drosophila’s relatively simple brain, which contains approximately 100,000 neurons compared to the human brain’s 100 billion. “This simplicity allows us to map neuronal circuits and link them to specific behaviors with remarkable precision. Coupled with its genetic tractability and vast array of molecular tools, Drosophila offers an unparalleled system to explore how genes and neurons drive behavior, including Nobel Prize-winning work on circadian rhythms,” Liu shared. In her lab, researchers use Drosophila to investigate nutrient-specific appetites with a focus on how dietary inputs are translated into behavioral outputs. “By controlling the diet and systematically manipulating the availability of specific nutrients, we can assess how flies make decisions, such as choosing protein-rich food when deprived of protein.” Additionally, Liu shared that these experiments, performed on a large scale, enable her lab to identify the molecular and genetic pathways that underlie these motivated behaviors, which provides insights into how nutrient-specific needs shape animal decision-making. 

Qili Liu will present her talk, “Cellular and Molecular Basis of Protein-specific Appetite,” during the March 23 closing plenary session of the 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference hosted by the Genetics Society of America. Be sure to register for the conference and mark your calendar so you don’t miss it! 

Liu strongly encouraged scientists to nominate deserving colleagues or themselves for this award in the future. “This award provides an incredible platform to highlight interesting and impactful research.” She added that the nomination process is straightforward, “making it an accessible way to recognize contributions to the field.” And if you’re a bit hesitant when it comes to self-nominations, Liu says, “I would say there is no better way to share your story and contributions to the field. It’s an opportunity to showcase how your work has advanced our understanding of Drosophila neurogenetics.” 

Join us in congratulating Qili Liu as the inaugural recipient of this award and don’t miss her presentation of The Hugo Bellen and Catherine Tasnier Drosophila Neurogenetics Lecture!