Lay articles

This page collates lay articles about fly research. Presenting complex scientific topics in simple and engaging yet accurate ways is not a trivial task, and here you can hopefully find inspiration. Also, many articles have been written already, and you may want to re-use them for your scicomm purposes, rather than re-invent the wheel. Please, help to improve this site! If you know any further articles that could be linked out here, please feel free to contact us.

Quick access: General | Cancer | Behaviour | Brain | Sleep | Diet | Other

Lay articles about fly research

Drosophila Science blogs

• FLYING THRU SCIENCE – A science site… with Flies
• Fly Research Portal – Connecting Drosophila biologists to one another and to the world

Form other sources

General

• Blog post in The Conversation: Prokop, A. (2023) Speaking up for the annoying fruit fly [LINK]
• Article in The New York Times: Giaimo, C. (2020). Fruit flies are essential to science. So are the workers who keep them alive — [LINK]
• Zócalo Public Square: Why fruit flies are the new lab rats
• Observer article: Six Nobel prizes – what’s the fascination with the fruit fly?
• The New York Times: Another Nobel prize for the fruit fly
• School Sciences Review: Fruit flies in biological research
• Manchester Uni: World first for Fly Research
• University Cambridge: A how-to manual for fruit fly research has been created
• Guardian article: In praise of the humble fruit fly
• An entertaining read on Drosophila history: Fly: the unsung hero of twentieth-century science (Martin Brookes)
• Baylor College of Medicine: Fruit flies: ‘living test tubes’ to rapidly screen potential disease-causing human genes
• An entertaining book about fly developmental biology: Lawrence, P. (1992). “The making of a fly: the genetics of animal design.” Blackwell Science, Oxford
• Held Jr., L. I. H. (2017). “Deep homology? Uncanny similarities of humans and flies uncovered by evo-devo.” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge — [LINK1] [LINK2]
• The “Fly on the Wall” blog, making fly science approachable for everyone
• Collection of Drosophila articles on the Wellcome Trust blog
• Article in Phys Org: “Why fruit flies are a good genetic model for human disease study”
• Collection of Drosophila articles on Popular Science
• Radio feature about the VDRC — [LINK]
• Collection of Drosophila radio broadcasts in German archived on deutschlandfunk.de
• S.B. Carroll, N. Gompel and B. Prudhomme in Scientific American (2008): Regulating Evolution [LINK]

———————————————————————-

Cancer

• WIRED: “Could Fruit Flies Help Match Patients With Cancer Treatments?“
• TheScientist: “Genetically Personalized Fruit Flies Screen for Cancer Drugs“
• Brochure by the European “Cancer Pathways” consortium: “Drosophila as a model system to study cancer“
• Blog on The Conversation: “..fruit fly leading the way on cancer research“
• Article in the Metro: “Fruit flies team up with dogs to pick out the unique smell of cancer“
• Article in Northeastern University News: ‘‘The fight against cancer, one fruit fly at a time”
• Cardiff University news: “Flies and Cancer research: an old unlikely partnership“
• YouTube video: “Are fruit flies the key in the fight against cancer?”
• Article in Cancer Research UK: “Hedgehogs, flies and skin cancer, the story of vismodegib”
• Article in Science Daily: “Origin of cancer wasting identified in fruit flies“
• Article in UCL news: “Cancer drug makes fruit flies live longer“
• MRC Clinical Sciences Centre: “Cancer cells poised for growth when opportunity knocks“

———————————————————————-

Behaviour

• Science Magazine: Fruit flies may enjoy taking carousels for a spin
• eLife blog: 100-year-old genetic mystery solved (the yellow gene and mating success)
• Medical Press: The neurobiology of fruit fly courtship helps illuminate human disorders of motivation
• The New York Times: “Female fruit flies like one mate, or his brother“
• BBC Nature: “Female flies’ immune genes turned on by males’ song”
• Article in Science &Technology: “How fruit flies pick a mate in just 15 minutes“
• TheScientist “Sex Promotes Lasting Memories in Female Flies“
• Article in Phys Org: “How female fruit flies know when to say yes”
• Video and article in the The New York Times: “To study aggression, a fight club for flies“
• Article in New Scientist: “Dopamine boost restores libido in ageing male fruit flies“
• Discoblog: “A Fruit Fly With a Laser-Shaved Penis Just Can’t Catch a Break“
• Article in Popular Science “Frozen Fruit fly sex is as freaky as it looks“
• Article in Science Daily: “Brain circuit in fruit fly that detects anti-aphrodisiac uncovered“
• Article in Science Daily: “Fruit flies adjust their courtship song based on distance“

———————————————————————-

Brain function and disorders

• Michael Winding: How we created the first map of an insect brain – and what it means for our understanding of the human brain
• Joe Sharpe on Alzheimer Research UK Blog: Could the answers to dementia be hiding in your fruit bowl?
• STAT news: In startled fruit flies, hints of how our brain circuits work — and fail
• Spectrum: Looking at autism through the fruit fly
• Behavioural Research Blog: How autistic fruit flies behave
• Scientific America: Could Fruit Flies Reveal the Hidden Mechanisms of the Mind?
• New Scientist: Zombie fungus infects fruit flies and turns them into slaves
• BBC Science & Environment post: Why is it so hard to swat a fly?
• Prokop, A. (2016). Fruit flies in biological research. Biological Sciences Review 28, 10-14 — [LINK]
• ATLAS of Science: Of flies and men: investigating human disease in fruit flies
• NINDS blog: Transformative basic research at NINDS: A case for invertebrate models systems
• Article& video in NY Times: Creating a Window Into a Fly’s Brain
• Article in Biological Sciences Review about brain degeneration: Fruit flies in biological research
• Life Science Archive:  Fly method is epilepsy’s ray of light
• Manchester Evening News: Flies may have the answer to preventing epilepsy, say Manchester scientists
• Collection of articles about Drosophila neuroscience by NeuroscienceNews.com
• The Bournemouth Echo: Could fruit flies hold key to understanding schizophrenia?
• Popular Science : Pass the Prozac, fruit flies get depressed too
• David Anderson talk: Your brain is more than a bag of chemicals
• David Anderson talk: Drugs, dopamine and Drosophila: a fly model for ADHD?
• SCMP News: Humans have fruit flies to thank for breakthroughs in life-saving drugs and treatments for mental illness
• A page on droso4schools dedicated to Neurodegenerative Disease research in flies.
• Wellcome Trust movie: Learning to fly: Fruit flies, ageing and dementia
• Lay article of the Alzheimer’s Society: Using fruit flies to model neurodegenerative diseases
• Parkinson’s UK: Fruit fly research reveals clues about nerve cell death in Parkinson’s
• BrainwaveDiscovery blog: Alzheimer’s disease – a tau neurotoxicity mechanism conserved from flies to mammals
• Newpaper articles on fly-driven advances in frontotemporal dementia research — [LINK1] – [LINK2]
• Movie about studying mechanisms of mental retardation in flies: Centrosomin represses dendrite branching
• Discoblog: Fruit Fly Brains Stay Alive in a Dish, Teach us About Nerve Damage
• Article in Medical Xpress: The fruit fly may know it is bugging you
• Article in IFLScience: Anxious fruit flies offer path to better medication
• Neuroscience News: Researchers Discover Compound That Reverses Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Symptoms
• Article in News Medical: “Mutant fruit flies provide insight into origins of Parkinson’s disease“
• Article from the University of Cambridge: “Fruit fly model of deadly brain diseases could lead to blood test for vCJD“

• New Scientist: “Sense of smell makes flies’ time fly“
• Article in PhysOrg: “New Study Strengthens olfactory vibration-sensing theory“
• Blog post on Why files: “How a fruit fly flies”

———————————————————————-

Sleep

• Imperial College London News: “Sexually aroused male flies unable to sleep after close encounters with females“
• Article in The Why Files: “Fruit fly study finds long-term impact of sleep deprivation”
• Article in Scientific American: “Fruit flies reveal sleep secrets”
• Article in Phys Org: “Flies sleep just like us”
• Article in Medical Xpress: “New fruitfly sleep gene promotes the need to sleep“
• Article in Journal Sentinel: “Is study on sleep habits of fruit flies, mice a wake-up call?“
• Article in Medical Xpress: “Fruitfly study: Epilepsy drug target implications for sleep disruption in brain disorders“
• Article in Medical Xpress: “Therapeutic agent reduces age-related sleep problems in fruit flies“
• Article in Medical Xpress: “Connecting sleep deficits among young fruit flies to disruption in mating later in life“
• Article in Phys Org: “For resetting circadian rhythms, neural cooperation is key“
• Article in Medical Xpress: “Fruit fly study identifies brain circuit that drives daily cycles of rest and activity“
• Article in Medical Xpress: “Sleep- and wake-dependent neuronal changes in fruit fly brains“
• Article in Science Daily: “Sleep tight fruit fly: Scientists find gene responsible for sleep deprivation and metabolic disorders“
• Article in International Business Times: “Sleep deprivation: Single gene explains why lack of sleep leads to increased appetite“
• Article on NPR: “‘You Are Getting Sleepy,’ Said The Scientist To The Fruit Fly“
• Article in the Scientist: “Food coma “phenomenon studied in fruit flies“

———————————————————————-

Dietary and alcohol

• Douglas, A. E. (2018). Gut microbes alter fly walking activity Nature, 10.1038/d41586-018-07080-y — [LINK]
• A page on droso4schools dedicated to alcohol-related research in flies.
• A Nature Methods feature: “Metabolism: feeding fruit flies“
• Pulver, S. (2013). Binge drinking maggots go cold turkey. J Exp Biol 216, v-vi — [LINK]
• Drexel Now: Drexel Scientists Find Common Sweetener is a Safe Insecticide
• The Why Files: How a fly detects a poison: New sensory route found
• EurekAlert: Fruit flies remember a good meal, Blood growth factor activates neural stem cells
• United Academics: Fasting Fruit Flies: Improved Focus and Brain Power
• Science Daily: How lifeforms know to be the right size: Fruit fly study reveals new clues
• Well blogs: How a school girl chose Drosophila to demonstrate the superior quality of organic fruits
• Science Daily: Microbes prevent malnutrition in fruit flies, and maybe humans, too
• Phys Org: Yo-yo weight fluctuation has little influence on the health of fruit flies
• National Institutes of Health: Fruit flies may shed light on cocaine addiction
• The Conversation: Fruit flies know how to sniff out antioxidants
• Sciencemag: Better smelling beer, thanks to fruit flies
• eScienceCommons: “Fruit flies force their young to drink alcohol- for their own good”
• New York times article: “Learning from the spurned and tipsy fruit fly”
• BBC news: “Sex-starved fruit flies turn to drink”
• Scientific American blog: Fruit flies use alcohol to self-medicate
• Article in Sciencemag: “Chromosome helps fruit flies hold their liquor“
• Mail online: “Pregnant? DON’T eat for two!“
• Life, Health and Wellbeing: “Why eating for two during pregnancy may cause weight problem“
• CBS News: “Why fruit fly intestines tell a human tale? “
• Wellcome Trust blog: “Fly poo never looked so beautiful…“
• Discoblog: “Gorgeous Guts: Pretty Photos of Fly Intestines Reveal Digestive Secrets“
• Discover: “Gut bacteria change the sexual preference of fruit flies“
• Article in Science Daily “Sweet tooth? Flies have it too–new study shows how they know what to eat and when to stop“
• Article in the Wall Street Journal “Seeking elixir of life, a scientist studies fruit flies“
• Article in Mother Jones:” Fake Sweeteners Make You Crave More Sweets“

———————————————————————-

Other

• BUSINESS INSIDER “An Israeli food startup wants humans to eat fruit fly larvae to save the planet“
• Mark Mancini: “Why fruit flies were the first animals in space“
• biotecnika blog: “Drosophila melanogaster for Personalized Medicines“
• The Conversation; “A 6,000-year-old fruit fly gave the world modern cheeses and yogurts“
• Concordia Univ. News: “A new literature review may help reveal the mechanisms behind kidney disease“
• Justin Wolter for The Embryo Project Encyclopedia: “The Notch signalling pathway in embryogenesis“
• Article in IFLscience!: “Do flies have emotions?” – also see German article in Spiegel Online [LINK]
• Article in IFLscience!: “Scientists Discover Evolutionary Advantage For Homosexuality“
• Article in QuantaMAGAZINE: “Genetically identical fruit flies reveal roots of Individuality“
• Article in gizmag: “Lifespan of fruit flies prolonged by selecting best cells in the body“
• Article in The Scientist: “How to study fly walk, physical contact and eating behaviours of Drosophila with automated devices“
• Article in Phys Org: “Those fruit flies are pickier than you think“
• Article in Phys Org: “Fruit flies learn from others“
• New York Times article: “Even fruit flies need a moment to think“
• Article in Phys Org: “That pregnant feeling makes a fly start nesting“
• Article in the Independent: “How fruit fly brains could one day cure jet lag”
• Article in Cornell Chronicle: “Fruit flies correct midair rolls in milliseconds“
• YouTube video: “Fruit flies on the International Space Station”
• New York Times article on understanding polydactlyl through fly: “ The origins of genetic quirks“
• German radio broadcast about Drosophila synthetica: Using fruit flies to study species formation during evolution
• Article in El Mundo: Cuanto más frío, ¿mayor promiscuidad?
• Article from the NorthWestern University: ” Using Fruit Flies to Understand How We Sense Hot and Cold“
• Article on Beaker blog site: “Novel model for cardiomyopathy paves the way for new therapies“
• Article in Oxbridge Round Table: “Diabetes finds a new ally in Drosophila“
• New York Times article: “The Circle That Gives Fruit Flies Direction“
• Article in the Washington Post: “Fruit flies can apparently tell time“
• Article in Science Daily: “Fruit flies ‘push the limit’ and lead researchers to an unexpected discovery“
• Article in the Independent: “How fruit fly brains could one day cure jet lag“
• Space.com: ” Fruit flies to soar to space station for deep space voyage data“
• Article in NC State News: “When fruit flies get sick, their offspring become more diverse“
• Article in the Conversation: “Can organs have a sexual identity?“
• Article in Nature: “Flies reared in the dark for 60 years give up their genetic secrets“
• Article in Science Daily: “Same switches program taste, smell in fruit flies“
• Article in The Star:” What a fruit fly’s body temperature could reveal about climate change“
• Article in PhysOrg: “Researchers visualise over 10,000 proteins of fruit flies“
• Article in Science Daily:” ‘Smoke alarm’ one of 36 genes newly found to play role in pain sensation“
• Article in Science Daily: “Wheel lets researchers measure fruit fly exercise“
• Article from the University of York: “Fighting contaminated land with help from the humble fruit fly“