Drosophila<\/em> genes, or fruit fly genes, actually have human homologs,\u201d says Sun. \u201cSo, we can study those genes in the flies, and we can find out what are the conserved functions between the fly and mammals.\u201d<\/p>\nIn Sun\u2019s lab, the fruit fly functions that researchers care the most about center around that high-capacity female reproduction.<\/p>\n
The way a fruit fly ovulates is similar to how a mammal ovulates \u2013 utilizing some of the same genes and the same processes \u2013 but the speed at which they do so allows researchers to analyze those processes, replicate them, and isolate the mechanisms at work in ways and at a pace that are impossible to study in humans.<\/p>\n
A lot of what is known today about how ovulation and reproduction occur within a female organism started with what scientists have learned from studying fruit flies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen\u2019s reproduction \u2013 actually, it\u2019s become a pretty important aspect right now. People are putting a lot of focus and emphasis on this area, because it\u2019s a really neglected area,\u201d says Sun. \u201cIn female reproduction, a lot of people focused on the ovaries \u2013 how the egg is developed, how the follicle develops \u2013 and there\u2019s also people focused on the uterus, because the uterus is important for pregnancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut a very big, neglected area is actually the oviduct.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s only been within the last decade that researchers discovered that oviduct secretory cells are the cell-of-origin for ovarian cancers, Sun explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, that really ignited the whole field trying to get into this area to find out what\u2019s going on,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where the flies play an important role in his own research, but they\u2019re critical in other areas of scientific study as well.<\/p>\n
Research into central nervous system disorders, like Parkinson\u2019s disease. Stem cell research. Questions about metabolic processes.<\/p>\n
In almost every aspect of biological questions, Sun says, the flies can be used as a system to study, offering the opportunity to find causal relationships, identify gene systems, screen potential drugs and treatments, and identify genetic tools.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re even a great model organism for undergraduates to use to learn scientific methodologies and explore their own research questions \u2013 fast, inexpensive to maintain, and easy to learn how to work with.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of undergraduates in labs learning all the techniques, and they really enjoy it, because they can manipulate them and they can really see the experiment, the outcome, and they can also hypothesize ideas and test them,\u201d Sun says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s also very short. The generation is only a little bit over a week. So, in one semester, they can test multiple hypotheses.\u201d<\/p>\n
With so many similarities, so much potential for learning, it\u2019s almost enough to make you think a little bit differently about that swarm of tiny little fruit flies buzzing all around your kitchen.<\/p>\n
Almost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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