Flies on Alcohol
We study behavioral responses of the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to drugs of abuse, with a focus on alcohol.
Similar to vertebrates, including humans, flies undergo several successive behavioral stages when exposed to alcohol: at low doses they become hyperactive, while at high doses they become sedated, and – well – drop like flies. We are interested in the neurobiology underlying these behaviors.
what we do
Why?
Alcoholism is a disease that is partly heritable, and the genetic contribution has been estimated in the range of 50-65%.
Because genes contributing to alcohol responses can be found and studied easily in a model organism like the vinegar fly, we can study genes that contribute to vertebrate alcohol responses and addiction.
Indeed, many genes and biochemical processes have been shown so far to contribute to the behavioral responses to alcohol in both flies and vertebrates.
