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Articles tagged Drosophila
(120 results)
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Revisiting Waddington: A new explanation for an old experiment
In the 1940s, C. H. Waddington discovered a peculiar phenomenon in fruit flies: traits could appear in response to environmental stress in an individual’s lifetime and then be passed down to future generations. Waddington proposed that this wasn’t the inheritance of acquired traits, but actually due to pre-existing genetic variation that had no effect until…
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In Memoriam: Robert C. King (1928–2017)
Guest post by Pamela K. Mulligan and Susanne M. Gollin. Robert C. King, Professor of genetics at Northwestern University for over four decades and a pioneer in studies of Drosophila oogenesis, passed away on June 25th. He was 89. Among scientists in the field, Bob (as he was generally known) was recognized as a world-renowned geneticist,…
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An overactive immune system alters the gut microbiome in Drosophila
Taking probiotics might be the latest health fad, but for people with inflammatory bowel diseases, the microbiome is a more serious matter. With these autoimmune diseases, the composition of the gut microbiome can have critical health consequences. In the June issue of GENETICS, Mistry et al. use fruit flies to determine whether immune system activity…
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MPP People: Elizabeth King
Multiparental populations (MPPs) have brought a new era in mapping complex traits, as well as new analytical challenges. To face these challenges and encourage innovation, the GSA journals launched the ongoing Multiparental Populations series in 2014. This month’s issues of GENETICS and G3 feature a bumper 16 MPP articles, timed to celebrate a new easy-to-use…
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Tools for transgenic studies in close relatives of D. melanogaster
Thanks to more than a hundred years of working with Drosophila melanogaster, geneticists have many powerful tools for precisely manipulating its genes. It has also become a model system for studying speciation and molecular evolution together with the other members of the melanogaster species group: D. simulans, D. mauritiana, D. yakuba, and D. santomea. However,…
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#DROS17 GSA Poster Award winners
We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 58th Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all! Undergraduate Students 1st Place: Cezary Mikoluk Institution: Penn State Berks Poster title: The…
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50 years of molecular evolution in Drosophila
In the genomic era, population geneticists are flooded with molecular data on the evolution of natural populations. This deluge started in 1966 as a trickle of data from protein electrophoresis studies, including the landmark GENETICS papers published by Richard Lewontin and John Hubby. As Lewontin is honored this week at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference…
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A single gene controls multiple feeding-related traits in fruit fly larvae
Fruit fly larvae have one goal: eat as much as possible. After the tiny worm-like larvae hatch from eggs embedded into the flesh of rotting fruit, they eat their way out. After days of gorging, they find a good spot to pupate and then emerge as adults. Fruit flies cannot grow after this transformation, however,…
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Rapid immune evolution: exception or rule?
The arms race between pathogens and their hosts leaves clear genetic marks: the most quickly evolving parts of host genomes often include immune genes. But are these fast-movers the exception among immune genes, or do most genes in this class bear the genetic signature of strong selection? In the January issue of GENETICS, Early et…
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Fruit fly feast: Preview of the Annual Drosophila Research Conference
Don’t miss out on this year’s Annual Drosophila Research Conference: The late abstract deadline is January 23, 2017 and the early registration discount ends February 3, 2017. Check out the fantastic lineup of invited speakers below! More details of the conference are available here, including details of special events like the PI Early Career Forum,…
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Fly model of traumatic brain injury untangles factors tied to mortality
Each year, emergency departments in the US treat almost 700,000 people for traumatic brain injury (TBI). The outcome depends largely on the severity and location of the injury, but these aren’t the only factors. Age also plays a role, with children often recovering more fully than do adults. The patient’s diet following the injury may…