Depending on where you are in the world, when you think of Cambridge University, you might picture vast halls, ancient libraries, mad scientists with hair that looks like it has been electrocuted, dusty chalkboards or students with long, jet black gowns billowing behind them. I saw fruit flies! I know. Weird. But little did I know that these tiny, inconspicuous creatures are the powerhouses of many of the biological discoveries we know of today.
Depending on where you are in the world, when you think of Cambridge, you might picture vast halls, ancient libraries, mad scientists with hair that looks like it has been electrocuted, dusty chalkboards or students with long, jet black gowns billowing behind them. I saw fruit flies! I know. Weird. But little did I know that these tiny, inconspicuous creatures are the powerhouses of many of the biological discoveries we know of today.
What I Really Found Behind the Lab Door
What I Really Found Behind the Lab Door
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to visit Professor Steve Russell’s Genetics Department at Cambridge University. Specifically, the Regulative Embryo Lab, led by Professor Ben Steventon, whom I met personally there. The lab was big, but it was quiet in the way forests are quiet – full of hidden life. The scientist were very nice, caring and attentive too – not the mad kind scientists usually pictured in movies.
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to visit Professor Steve Russell’s Genetics Department at Cambridge University. Specifically, the Regulative Embryo Lab, led by Professor Ben Steventon, whom I met personally there. The lab was big, but it was quiet in the way forests are quiet – full of hidden life. The scientist were very nice, caring and attentive too – not the mad kind scientists usually pictured in movies.
From Questions to Microscopes
From Questions to Microscopes
My grandma seeing the world through a fly’s eyes – curiosity has no age!
This all began at the Cambridge Festival ( an annual celebration of science, art, and ideas with talks, experiments and fun activities for all ages) , where I asked Dr. Alice Yuen, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Regulative Embryo Lab, a few interesting questions.
I did not even remotely consider the possibility that I would then stay in contact with her, let alone visit the lab. But, these things did happen, and I somehow found myself walking through the doors of the University.
I was scheduled for 1 hour with each of the scientists, who happily explained their different areas of research. I got the chance to peer into a confocal microscope by Leica Microsystems, see a chicken embryo while in its egg, still alive, watch a zebrafish embryo burst from its sac and much, much more.
When the trip was over, I was buzzing with ideas, questions and things that I learnt, so this is why I decided to write this article.
Tiny Flies, Big Data: Exploring Genetics with Drosophila Melanogaster
Tiny Flies, Big Data: Exploring Genetics with Drosophila Melanogaster
Fruit flies are commonly overlooked creatures that seemingly have no relation whatsoever to humans.
However, as we share over 60% of our DNA with fruit flies, and these intricate creatures are often much too happy to reproduce, they are ideal for experiments with genetics, diseases and ones involving large numbers of specimens.
I got the chance to see how experiments are done with Dr. Tom Pettini, Postdoctoral Research Associate, prepare a microscope slide with fruit fly and beetle embryos.
Fruit flies have a short lifespan of around 40-50 days under ideal conditions, and lay up to 500 eggs, making sure there is always plenty at hand.
They have been used in research for over 100 years, ever since Thomas Hunt Morgan used them to discover that genes are carried on chromosomes.
Fruit flies can get almost 75% of diseases humans get, ( like diabetes and kidney stones to mention a couple), which means they are an excellent model for research.
Fruit flies form the basis of modern genetics, and many genetic principles were discovered using them.
Fruit flies are internationally recognised as excellent models for experimental genetics, making experiments easy to repeat anywhere.
Thank you to Dr. Tom Pettini, who so passionately showed me how he experiments with fruit flies. His enthusiasm and explanations made everything so fascinating and easy to understand.
( Hint: My website’s name was inspired by these very flies.)
Making the Invisible Visible with Confocal Microscopy
Making the Invisible Visible with Confocal Microscopy
First, carbon dioxide (which has tranquilizing effects on fruit flies) is released into their container and the embryos are scraped of the nutritious coating (yeast apple juice and corn starch on Agar Jelly) found at the bottom.
Then, these embryos are put in distilled water, a fluorescent dye designed to illuminate different parts of the cells is put in the mixture and it is left to sit for about 30 minutes, to allow the dye to bind.
After that, they are washed, put on a slide and a cover slip put in place. The dye contains special chemical compositions that attach to specific proteins that emit light when excited by different wavelengths of laser, which helps see the different parts of the cell. This slide is then placed on a confocal microscope which excites the dye with a laser and makes the embryo visible.
Looking Inside Life with Zebrafish
Looking Inside Life with Zebrafish
Zebrafish, coincidentally, also share about 70% of the same genomes that humans have, and their transparent embryo helps scientists observe what happens in the embryo during development.
Dr. Alice Yuen, who studies zebrafish embryos, showed me around the lab.
She used forceps to open a zebrafish embryo’s chorion, a protective sac, to release the fish.
I found out that genetic mutations could affect various factors on the fish like the length of its tail, or its eyes.
Zebrafish remain embryos for only about 72 hours, before they start developing into adults over the next few months. This rapid development helps scientists be able to detect changes relatively fast, meaning they are excellent candidates for studying how genes influence growth and the formation of organs as well as the impact of the environment.
Also, they prefer to breed in shallow, slanted waters and are cannibalistic, which means they eat some of their own kind.
In this case, they only eat the eggs that have been released by the female. To prevent this from happening, a grille is placed a few centimetres above the bottom of the container, so the eggs fall through but the fish can’t access them.
These tiny fish can be used for cancer, cardiovascular disease and genetic research, making them extremely useful for labs.
Cracking Open Evolution: Chickens as Windows to the Past
Cracking Open Evolution: Chickens as Windows to the Past
Yuri Takahashi, PhD student, showed me how chickens are used to understand evolutionary genetics and developmental biology, as they are very common and interesting creatures.
Chick embryos also help scientists to be able to see the development of the heart, lungs and blood vessels as they are quite large and do not require high power microscopes to be able to inspect them.
Chickens can also be used to culture weaker versions of viruses to produce vaccines .
They also have a similar nervous system to us, meaning they can sense their surroundings in a similar way that humans do, which is useful for studying.
Some scientists, like Dr. Bassel Arnaout, also study birds because they are the closest relatives to dinosaurs. This means they can be used as a window to the past to view what has happened a long time ago.
6 Things I Have in Common with Fruit Flies
6 Things I Have in Common with Fruit Flies
- We are both little but complex – Fruit flies are intricate organisms that are very complicated to understand. They help scientists understand things like DNA or Alzheimer’s disease. I am also very intricate and think in big, powerful ways too.
- We both have been to special places – Fruit flies have been to the International Space Station (ISS). I have been to Cambridge University. This might sound weird, but both places are places for curiosity and exploration.
- We are both curious creatures – Fruit flies think even a crumb is worth investigating, just like me – I love finding out how things work.
- We both love patterns – Fruit flies are studied for their regular patterns and behaviour. I search for patterns and connections in people, subjects and questions.
- We both are inspiring – Fruit flies inspire scientists to carry out interesting experiments. I am (hopefully) inspiring you by providing these intriguing articles.
- We are both misunderstood – Fruit flies are thought to be little but pests and things that should be kept away. I am sometimes seen as annoying because I ask too many questions (you can never ask too many questions).
Noticing the Unnoticed: What Science Really Means
Noticing the Unnoticed: What Science Really Means
So the next time you see a fruit fly hovering over your banana, remember: these tiny creatures share your genes and help scientists carry out research which can hold the answers to many diseases. I used to think Cambridge was about ancient libraries with vast collections of magnificent books and brilliant minds, but it turns out the smallest wings (even when genetically mutated) can carry the biggest questions. Maybe that’s what science really is: noticing the unnoticed, and asking what else may be hidden in plain sight.
Questions I still wonder about: Do fruit flies have a personality? Do they feel emotion or have preferences in a similar way humans do? Do they consciously choose a mating pair like octopi or birds or go to the nearest one?
“Time flies like an arrow;
Fruit flies like a banana.”
— Groucho Marx, Quotefancy
A huge thank you to Prof. Steve Russell, Prof. Ben Steventon, and everyone at the Regulative Embryo Lab for making this amazing visit possible. Special thanks to Dr. Alice Yuen, who is not only a brilliant scientist but also an incredible teacher and an even more wonderful person.
Leave a comment below if you liked this article, or if you want to share interesting facts about fruit flies.
Got a question about fruit flies, zebrafish or genetics? Drop it in the comments – I’d love to help!
Before you go, check how ‘fly’ you are or play the Flappy Fly Game.
Fruit Fly Fact file
