Why just fly?

2025/11/24 by Peter K. Dearden · 2 voices
Neuroscience · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Immunology and Microbiology · #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation #Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/19336934.2025.2593725

Abstract

Drosophila melanogaster is an incredible model system, providing tools and technologies that allow careful, effective, and reproducible research. This experimental approach, and the genetic tools and techniques available in Drosophila are desperately needed for the study of other insects, a hugely diverse group of huge importance to natural and productive ecosystems. For those of you with the skills and ‘Drosophila mindset’, studying other insects may help us understand diversity, improve the security of food production, and help avoid the current, worrying, insect apocalypse.

Citations

• One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants
• Whole-brain annotation and multi-connectome cell typing of Drosophila
• How Many Species of Insects and Other Terrestrial Arthropods Are There on Earth?

Discussions

• Insect research has used Drosophila as a model organism for over a century. But today’s tools now open up a much wider spectrum of insects which deserve to be studied. See the recent commentary in @fl [bsky, 18 points, 1 comments]
• Insect research has used Drosophila as a model organism for over a century. But today’s tools now open up a much wider spectrum of insects which deserve to be studied. See the recent commentary in @fl [bsky, 4 points, 0 comments]

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