Tag Archives: flies

Database of Small Fruit Flies

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For over a century, humble fruit flies have paved the way for many significant scientific breakthroughs. This small insect has helped researchers understand that X-rays can cause genetic mutations, with genes being passed from parents to children through chromosomes. A gene known as period helps our bodies maintain time; disruptions to this internal clock can lead to jet lag and increase the risk of neurological and metabolic diseases. These findings, along with nearly 90,000 other studies, are part of an essential online database called FlyBase, which researchers utilize daily to design new experiments more quickly. These tests could help explore the underlying causes of diseases and develop new treatments. Science builds on previous insights, and a comprehensive repository of past advances serves as a catalyst for future discoveries.

The website receives approximately 770,000 page views each month from scientists around the world, facilitating the development of personalized treatments in rare cases, modeling neurodegenerative diseases in humans, and identifying candidates for screening conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, its vital resources are now facing potential layoffs that threaten its future and the ability to enhance research efficiency. This spring, the Trump administration withdrew grants used to maintain FlyBase as part of a $2.2 billion budget cut at Harvard University.

“I use FlyBase every day, and it’s incredibly essential,” said Celeste Berg, a professor of genomic sciences at the University of Washington. “What we know about human genes and how they function comes from model systems like Drosophila.” Humans share about 60% of our genes with the fruit fly known scientifically as Drosophila melanogaster. FlyBase’s current stability underscores how interconnected and interdependent research efforts are, highlighting how funding for one institution can have global repercussions. Over 4,000 labs utilize FlyBase.

Harvard received approximately $2 million annually in federal funds to maintain FlyBase, which constitutes a majority of the website’s overall operating budget. However, the University of New Mexico, Indiana University, and the University of Cambridge in the UK are partners and beneficiaries in assisting Harvard with FlyBase management. “This doesn’t just affect Harvard,” stated Brian Calvi, a biology professor at Indiana University who is part of the FlyBase management team. “The ripple effects extend to the international biomedical research community.”

According to Norbert Perimon, a professor of developmental biology at Harvard, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences temporarily funded FlyBase, but that support will cease in October. Earlier this month, a judge ordered the Trump administration to restore funding for Harvard researchers who lost the grant, but the funds have not yet been allocated to FlyBase, Perimon noted. The administration has promised to appeal decisions that could block funding flows. The White House did not respond to requests for comment, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the National Institutes of Health, declined to comment.

The Transmitter, a neuroscience news site, was the first to report the layoffs at FlyBase. The Harvard Crimson reported on the decision of Harvard’s School of Arts and Sciences not to extend provisional funding. Calvi mentioned that the FlyBase grant covered full or partial salaries for eight individuals at Harvard, three in Indiana, five in Cambridge, and one at the University of New Mexico. While Indiana and Cambridge have secured some funding to operate programs until next year, the New Mexico position ended in August.

Operating since 1992, FlyBase has been funded by the federal government for over three decades. It curates and summarizes research papers, organizes findings on specific genes, and catalogs information on genetically modified fruit flies to understand how particular genes lead to normal development. The fruit fly is the primary animal model for biomedical research as scientists have been able to map the brain to the genome, and it is relatively easy to handle. Berg, an avid FlyBase user and a professor at Genome Sciences, studies human development and how cells form organs. FlyBase allows researchers to search for and identify genes of interest for their experiments. Subsequently, they test how altering the expression of these genes affects cell placement. Thousands of fruit fly papers are added and summarized in FlyBase each year. Without FlyBase, Berg cautioned that researchers and clinicians could struggle to keep pace and miss crucial connections regarding specific genes.

Researchers from the Undiagnosed Disease Network employ FlyBase to determine whether pediatric genetic mutations contribute to rare, unknown diseases. They identify genetic mutations in patients and compare those with previous studies of those genes in flies. FlyBase also offers crowdfunding support on its website. “Given the importance of FlyBase to the broader U.S. and international scientific research community,” stated James Chisholm, spokesman for the Faculty of Arts at Harvard University. Two staff members from Harvard have already been laid off from FlyBase positions, with six more slated for layoffs in late September and early October, according to Perimon. “If we can’t retain key personnel, it’ll be very difficult to get people back with the knowledge necessary to keep the database operational,” Perimon remarked. “That would mark the end of FlyBase as we know it.”

Funding disruptions threaten plans to relocate FlyBase data to a new long-term home called the Genome Resource Alliance. The fruit fly, along with rats, mice, and worms, is one of several common “model organisms” used in labs to build the foundation for understanding human biology. The National Institutes of Health has allocated $5 million annually since 2017 to merge several databases, including FlyBase, WormBase, and Mouse Genome databases. Each of these contains information that human health researchers can cross-reference to study genes critical to human health more effectively. “If you’re studying human genes and need to access all existing information, you must visit all of these websites. I want one-stop shopping,” said Paul Sternberg, a professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology. The alliance’s budget expired on June 30, and Sternberg noted that they are awaiting a reclamation decision from the NIH. He mentioned that the funding disruption at FlyBase represents a new and unexpected challenge. “We need to move quickly, but with our staff and energy dwindling, we are at risk,” Sternberg expressed. “We can’t afford any additional obstacles.”

FlyBase had planned to merge with the Alliance in 2029. Now, Calvi and others are advocating for an accelerated merger before FlyBase’s financial runway disappears. Any donations the organization is soliciting are aimed at helping cover operational costs. “So far, we’ve raised under $100,000,” Calvi stated regarding the crowdfunding efforts. “We likely need a million.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Time Flies Review: A Bittersweet Journey Through Existence

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The demise of the housefly often unfolds in a clandestine manner. Moments after these insects appear in our vicinity, annoyance levels surge, prompting swift defensive measures with rolled-up magazines and quick swimmer movements until the pests vanish. “Time High,” a puzzle game that plays with perception, reexamines this fleeting existence as an absurd tragedy, offering players a list of whimsical tasks that soon become a bucket list for these nuisances.

In just about a minute, players can navigate a minimalist 2D environment to fulfill these final aspirations. Fry’s dreams manifest as vague and distant prompts like “make someone laugh,” “find a god,” “start a revolution,” and “become rich.” Thank you for joining us in this satirical side-scroller titled “Coal Supper!”




Life is fleeting…time flies. Photo: Playful/Panic

The game features four distinct levels: an art-filled museum, a winding sewer system, and a cluttered house packed with two busy Bric-a-Bracs. Its scratchy, monochromatic visual style shapes each environment, with seemingly quaint settings concealing philosophical quandaries and lighthearted humor. The game offers various environmental interactions; from making the Mona Lisa smile by landing on her nose to getting tipsy from spilled wine or sewing flowers from flooded corpses. Not all actions verge on checklist completion; players will also encounter unexpected hazards as they uncover each Rubae Goldberg machine or Genga Tower throughout the game’s expansive levels.

The central challenge lies in the limited seconds available in each day—not just to discover all the bucket list tasks, but also to connect them in a sequence that unlocks the subsequent level. Crafting the ideal route is both simple and captivating, complicated further by watch gadgets that can be manipulated to add valuable seconds to your briefly-lived existence.

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What makes the conceptual foundation of Time so compelling is the frustration of controlling the fly along with the incessant noise that accompanies your efforts to meet objectives. You must hold down the arrow key to direct the fly, contending with challenges like incinerating light bulbs and weaving through a statue’s insides, particularly during agile tasks. The controls can feel unwieldy. Over time, the cyclical process of reincarnation mirrors our own unfulfilled aspirations for order amidst a chaotic world. Despite our relatively lengthy life spans, many struggle to attain the lofty goals Fry sets forth—unless we adapt what those ambitions truly signify for us.

Accompanied by the relentless tick-tock of the clock, Time Fly emerges not only as a cleverly crafted puzzle game but also for its ability to distill deep philosophical notions into digestible gameplay. By combining playful mechanics with contemplative themes, Time Flies offers a lighthearted space for players to grapple with existential concepts for an hour or two. As you seek to unravel the fly’s aspirations, there’s ample room to explore your own identity.

Source: www.theguardian.com

US to Launch Billions of Flies to Tackle Pest Problems

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Topeka, Kansas – The US government is gearing up to breed billions of flies, which will be released from planes in Mexico and southern Texas to combat meat-eating maggots.

This may sound like a horror movie plot, part of the government’s strategy to safeguard the US from pests that threaten the beef industry, wildlife, and even household pets. This innovative method has proven effective in the past.

“It’s an excellent technique,” remarks Edwin Burgess, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, who studies animal parasites, particularly in livestock. “It’s the best method we have for translating science into solving significant problems.”

The targeted pests are the meat-consuming larvae of the New World Screwworm Fly. The USDA is set to ramp up the breeding and distribution of adult male flies that will mate with wild females, resulting in eggs that will not hatch. Consequently, the larval population will decline over time.

Workers drop New World screwworm fly larvae into trays at a facility that breeds sterile flies in Pacola, Panama last year.
Copeg via AP file

This method is more effective and environmentally friendly than conventional pest control, which was used by the US and other countries north of Panama to eradicate these pests decades ago. Sterilized flies from Panama were effective for years, yet infestations resurfaced in southern Mexico late last year.

The USDA anticipates that a new Screwworm Fly Factory will begin operations in southern Mexico by July 2026. Additionally, a fly distribution center will be established in southern Texas by the end of this year, facilitating the import and distribution of flies from Panama as required.

Fried Live Meat

Most fly larvae consume dead flesh, feeding on decomposing matter from the New World screwworm as well as its counterparts from Asia and Africa, posing a significant threat to the American beef industry. Females lay eggs in wounds, which can sometimes expose the underlying tissue.

“A 1,000-pound cow could perish within two weeks,” stated Michael Bailey, the elected president of the American Veterinary Association.

Veterinarians have effective treatments for infested animals; however, an invasion can still cause significant discomfort and pain for affected animals.

Don Hineman, a retired rancher from Western Kansas, recalls an infected cow from his youth on the family farm.

“It had a terrible smell,” he recounted. “Like rotten meat.”

Utilizing Fly Biology Against Them

The New World Screwworm Fly is a tropical species that historically could not survive winters in the Midwest and Great Plains. However, from 1962 to 1975, the US and Mexico raised and released over 94 billion sterile flies, according to the USDA.

Workers hold two small containers of New World screwworm flies.
Copeg via AP file

The numbers must be large enough so that wild females have no option but to mate with sterile males.

A unique biological characteristic gives fly fighters an edge: females mate only once during their adult life over a short period.

Reasons for Increased Fly Breeding

Concerns have been raised about the potential northward movement of flies. The southern border has been closed to imports of live cattle, horses, and bison, which won’t fully reopen until at least mid-September.

However, female flies can inflict wounds on warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Decades ago, the US operated fly factories in Florida and Texas, which were shut down after the pests were eradicated.

Panama’s fly factory can produce up to 117 million flies per week, but the USDA aims to boost production to at least 400 million per week. It plans to invest $8.5 million in a Texas facility and $21 million to transform it into a breeding site for screwworm flies and fruit flies in southern Mexico.

Methods for Cultivating Millions of Flies

Growing large populations of flies is relatively simple, according to Cassandra Olds, an assistant professor of entomology at Kansas State University.

She notes, however, that “you need to provide females with the necessary cues to lay their eggs, and the larvae must have sufficient nutrients.”

Previous USDA studies indicate that larvae were once fed horse meat and honey before transitioning to a blend of dried eggs and honey or molasses. The Panama facility eventually utilized a mixture of egg powder, red blood cells, and cow plasma.

Workers use machines to mix food for the sterile fly breeding program in Pacola.
Copeg via AP file

In nature, larvae, akin to the pupal stage of butterflies, fall from their hosts to the ground, burrowing just below the surface to grow inside a protective casing resembling a dark brown tic-tac mint. In the Panama factory, workers place them into sawdust trays.

Security measures are crucial. According to Sonja Swiger, an entomologist at Texas A&M University’s Extension Services, breeding facilities need to prevent fertile adults from the breeding stock.

Aerial Fly Release

Dropping flies from aircraft presents certain risks. Recently, a plane releasing sterile flies crashed near the Mexican border, resulting in three fatalities.

Historically, during test runs in the 1950s, scientists placed flies in paper cups, which were then dropped from the planes using a specialized chute. These cups were loaded into boxes on a machine called the “whiz packer.”

The current method closely resembles this. Small aircraft equipped with wooden trays release the flies.

Burgess is recognized for developing the breeding and distribution of sterile flies in the 1950s and 60s, labeling it one of the USDA’s “greatest accomplishments.”

Some farmers now contend that new factories shouldn’t be closed after another successful eradication.

“What we perceive as full control — and declare victory — can always reemerge,” cautioned Burgess.

Source: www.nbcnews.com