why do scientists use fruit flies? 🧠 #science #phd #biochembarbie

Hinzugefügt: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]So, they're not gnats, >> [music] >> they're not bees. These are fruit flies, which are actually one of the most highly used model organisms in biology.

[00:00:06]We use them because they share a surprising number of similar genes and pathways as humans. So, just like you and I, especially those that are involved in brain development. My research focuses on a rare neurodevelopmental disease or disorder called microcephaly, where [music] something goes wrong during brain development and the brain does not grow as it should. Using fruit flies [music] allows us to study things, track them over development in a way that otherwise we would not be able to do. Another thing, I am not going out into nature and catching flies. These are lab raised. A lot of them are genetically engineered, genetically modified. I have faith as a young scientist that greater [music] discovery depends on the lengths we're willing to push ourselves to and how creative and how innovative we're willing to be. Using [music] tiny fruit flies with a brain the size of a poppy seed is worth it in order to push the progress towards figuring out what exactly is happening when babies are born with microcephaly.