Courtesy of Eric Spana, Duke University Center for Theoretical & Mathematical Sciences, Noor Lab
Scuttle Fly Study
Researchers at Duke University's Noor lab of Evolutionary Genetics are developing a new "model system" for addressing interesting evolutionary genetic questions: the scuttle fly, Megaselia scalaris. This species offers many interesting facets: for example, it bears homomorphic sex chromosomes, and sex is determined by a male-determining region that actually transposes among chromosomes at a low, but detectable, rate.
The researchers are now in the process of obtaining complete, high-coverage genome sequences from males and females to isolate the region(s) distinguishing the sexes and begin deeper investigation into the genetic and evolutionary questions. Megaselia scalaris is both cosmopolitan and a "pest" species, being associated with myiasis and other infections of humans, as well as having potential forensic entomological applications. The researchers anticipate incidental benefits to society from explorations of this interesting biological system.
Project Details
- PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Suzanne McGaugh
- SCIENTIST AFFILIATION: Duke University Center for Theoretical & Mathematical Sciences, Noor lab of Evolutionary Genetics
- DATES: Ongoing
- PROJECT TYPE: Fieldwork
- COST: Free
- GRADE LEVEL: All Ages
- TIME COMMITMENT: Less than 1 hour per week
- HOW TO JOIN:
We will send participants collection vials, detailed collection instructions, and priority shipping box with prepaid return postage. Participants can either try to catch the flies using the vials, or set up a funnel trap baited with a cotton ball or sponge soaked in wine/vinegar and old fruit and transfer the flies to the collection vials later. The shipping box can be returned to us via any home mailbox; thus, no need for an extra trip to the Post Office.
For additional information, contact Suzanne McGaugh, postdoctoral researcher, suzanne.mcgaugh@duke.edu.
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3 Comments
Add Comment"The researchers anticipate incidental benefits to society..."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGiven society's current financial straits, is society bearing the cost of this admittedly "incidental" research? Even if not, aren't there more needed, more pressing goals to attain?
Basic research is responsible for many discoveries that have incidental benefits to society. One of the recent examples is that studying petunia color led to a major paradigm shift in genetics. Please refer to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/rnai.html for an excellent descriptive video of this particular example.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow do we sign up for the scuttle fly study? I don't see an email or link....thanks.
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