Drosophila melanogaster

FOXO proteins are the O class of the Forkhead family of proteins. Forkhead protein (FOX) was first discovered in Drosophila and when mutated results in a head structure that resembles a fork (Wiegel et al 1989). Over 100 FOX proteins have been identified since and classified as FOXA to FOXR depending on sequence similarities. The FOX family of proteins function as transcription factors and their defining feature is a DNA binding domain known as the fork head domain (Lai et al 1993). This domain…

Drosophila Paper Discussion Portion Discussion The hypothesis was supported during the experiment. We originally hypothesized that if parental strains of stock D. melanogaster were mated, the ratios of the phenotypes in the F1 generation would be completely random and follow the laws of segregation and independent assortment. Under such assumption, the 3 genes examined in this experiment would not be linked, and the final observed number of F1 flies with each phenotype would equal the expected…

cerevisiae and drosophila (Rothstein 1991; S. Rong 2002). Especially in yeast cells, HR is commonly used method for gene targeting due to high efficiency. Yeast cells can grow as haploid/diploid forms; it provides specific advantage to study lethality-gene relationship and…

Chapters 1 to 10 Overview A History of Genetics by A.H. Sturtevant provides a brief history of work prior to Mendel and the author’s firsthand account of the events and research that helped shape the field of genetics. Early on, various hypotheses were beginning to be formulated by scientists such as Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Darwin. These include pangenesis, hybridization, and human inheritance which provided Mendel with some ideas to develop his own understanding of heredity. Also, the…

According to the observation made during the replication of Drosophila melanogaster chromosomes in 1973, the opening of Drosophila’s DNA double helix, known as replication forks (formerly named as eye forms) at a number of different sites were noted (Kriegstein and Hogness, 1974). The creation of replication forks is the…

It takes the Drosophila flies 24 hours after fertilization to go from an embryo to larva. The larva will eat and then continue to grow, taking about 6-8 days to become a pupa. During this phase, the pupa will undergo metamorphosis and change into an adult fly. The adult…

Microevolution allows us to see a small scale of evolution over a short period of time. To visually see and test evolution we need organisms that adapt quickly and have short life spans. Fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, are model organisms in order to gather as much information within a short period of time. Fruit flies have a life span of about 2 weeks, and are low maintenance, making it easy to see several generations. (Varga, S. J., Qi, C., Podolsky, E., & Lee, D , 2014) According to…

Transferring to the University of Miami opened a fresh array of opportunities and career choices to make. At the beginning of my first semester, since I transferred form the honors program, I was invited to apply to the Reclaiming the American Dream Scholarship Program, which offered countless resources to expand my academic enrichment through research mentors, and the possibility to present at conferences. Still firm on my decision to study medicine, for the first time I considered doing…

In a new study published in the Journal of Functional Foods, researchers reveal how exposure to excessive amounts of green tea impaired the reproductive function of fruit flies, as well as the development of their offspring. While it is unclear whether the beverage has the same impact on humans, the team says their findings warrant caution against consuming large amounts of green tea and other nutraceuticals. Green tea is made from fresh leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Because green…

If you asked me a year and a half ago what I wanted my vocation to be, I would have promptly blurted out: “Forensic pathologist.” If you ask me now, I will respond with: “I don’t know, it may change, but I’ve got an idea.” While my interests remain within the world of science, it’s still an entire world nonetheless. I have opened myself up to exploring new career paths within this world because of one factor during the end of my sophomore year of high school—exploring the unknown. I did not…