DNA barcode finds four new bird species
... cycles. Other uses include identifying birds that fly into airplane engines and testing for protected fish species, for example, that sometimes make their way to market. It also works for identifying organisms at different stages of life, such as the eggs and larvae of insects. And it can easily disting...Researchers develop fast track way to discover how cells are regulated
...ing the genome of any organism, be it yeast, worm, fly or human, scientists are faced with a problem -- the incredible number of genes," explains Susan Mango, Ph.D., an HCI investigator and leader of the research team. Mango's research centered on a common garden-variety nematode worm, C. elegans, which...New fruitfly model of diabetes has future implications for pancreatic cell transplantation
...d an interconnected network of cells that tell the fly to take up or release sugar, as needed. Two yea...m showed that a group of cells in the brain of the fly make insulin, which parallels the role of beta cells in humans. Now, in the September 16 issue of Na...Molecule awakens and maintains neural connections
...ir colleagues first identified a gene in the fruit fly Drosophila that appears to play a role in regula... growth, or "arborization." In comparing the fruit fly gene with databases of vertebrate genomes, they identified a similar homologue in mice, which they n...Essential smell gene may provide key to new insect repellents
...are at the top of the nasal passages. In the fruit fly they are located on the antennae and the maxillary palp, an appendage near the fly mouth. The odorant molecules bind to receptors on the neurons, fitting like chemical keys into the l...Analysis of biological clock may lead to greater understanding of human disease
...e mechanism of genetic circuits by which the fruit fly regulates its circadian rhythm. The results are pu...cellular system. The circadian rhythm of the fruit fly is a regulatory system that takes its cues from the sun. When the sun rises it affects the light-sen...Circadian clock genes reign in duration of fruit fly copulation
...omehow also influence sexual behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila. Circadian rhythms control the timing o...timeless genes appear to influence the duration of fly copulation through a mechanism that is separate from the daily circadian clock. The researchers foun...Length of sex act in flies dictated by genetics
...iled research, it was learned that it was the male fly that determined how long to continue the mating process and was prolonging the event he decided when it was time to quit, and that decision clearly involved clock genes. In other studies over many years, the gene period, as well as other "clock" gen......e, like a wine-taster rinsing her palate. As they fly toward the female, the male beetles come across wafts ofpheromone separated by periods of no scent. To get an accuratereading and stay on course, the beetle must constantly reset itspheromone detection system. Leal worked with Martine Maibeche-Coisn...Method to visualize gene activity may provide insight into normal development & genome function
...addition to facilitating our own research on fruit fly development, there are many potential applications for this technique," says Ethan Bier, a professor of biology at UCSD who led the research team. "For example, it could be used to understand how tumors arise and grow, by revealing what genes are tur...NHGRI adds 18 organisms to sequencing pipeline
...worm Schimdtea mediterranea, more species of fruit fly and more species of fungi. ...Forest fire sensor inspired by nature
...ood: immediately after woodland blazes the females fly in from far and wide, climb up the trees and lay their eggs in the smouldering bark. Since most other insect species tend to avoid freshly scorched areas, the jewel beetle larvae can develop with hardly any competition. The adult insects owe their se...Casanova or caveman: Scientists isolate nerve cells that choreograph male fly's courtship behavior
When a male fruit fly encounters a prospective mate, he initiates courts...o humans, according to the researchers. "The fruit fly is a model organism whose basic cellular functions are very similar to what they are in people," sai...How wounds heal Clues from flies
... hours of wound healing. Inhibiting the pathway in fly mutants had dramatic effects on the wound-healing ... triggered by the wound. Since many aspects of the fly wound response resemble those in mammals, it's likely that the molecular components are also shared....Molecular motor shuttles key protein in response to light
...l C," Lee found that arrestin didn't move when the fly was exposed to bright light. Instead, arrestin stayed in the protein-making part of the cell. "For the cell to properly adapt to bright light, arrestin needs to move," says Montell. "If it doesn't, the cell remains as sensitive to light as it was whe...Genetic model for devastating form of paraplegia suggests new treatments
...e amino acid level. "It may seem surprising that a fly can be used to uncover the molecular basis of human disease, but it has been shown over and over again in the last several decades that insights gained from Drosophila studies provide immediate insight into the human condition. There is a long histor...Cell death protein has surprising role in cell migration
By studying fruit fly ovaries, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered ...d cellular movement that naturally occurs in fruit fly ovaries as egg cells mature. "This discovery was completely unexpected," says Denise Montell, Ph.D...Sleepless over Seattle: Migrating songbirds forgo sleep but keep their wits
...ions of songbirds migrate thousands of miles. Most fly by night, yet are active during the day as well, raising the question of how they cope with little sleep. A new study, published online in the open-access journal PLoS Biology, suggests such nocturnally migrating songbirds simply skimp on sleep--but ...Secret behind hard exoskeletons, spreading wings revealed
...aboratory, ran searches on the genome of the fruit fly and found that three of the four sequences matched the sequence of the fruit fly gene CG13419. She subsequently compared the sequence to known genomes for other insects and also fou......of the field because that's the direction the bugs fly in from. But he planted squash on all four sides. He established a perimeter," Mitchell said. Following Mitchell and Whitney's suggestions, Allison sprayed the squash crop and the melons early in the season. The results were good that year and the...