Human Genetic Diseases Studied With Fruit Flies

Genetics Society of America (GSA) has organised the 56th Annual Drosophila Research Conference and over 1,500 scientists from 30 countries and 46 states will attend the event from March 4-8 in Chicago, IL.

Researchers who use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to study biology will be the participants to deliver more than 1,000 presentations (including 170 talks).

The conference will focus in describing cutting-edge research on genetics, developmental biology, cancer, stem cells, neurology, epigenetics, genetic disease, aging, immunity, behavior, drug discovery and technology.

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most resourceful and widely used model organisms applied to the study of genetics, physiology, and evolution. Drosophila research has led to five Nobel prizes and some of the most significant breakthroughs in our understanding of biology.

Fruit flies are a valuable resource as accurate biological data can be generated for biomedical research because of the efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Human genetic diseases, ranging from cancer to diabetes to neurodegenerative disorders are widely studied using fruit flies.

Research presented at the Drosophila conference, helps advance our fundamental understanding of living systems and provides crucial insight into human biology, health and disease.

Source: Medindia