Using Non-model Organisms to Study Behavior and Disease

Our group is interested in the genetics of behavior. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a great tool to find genes, and lots of mutant flies have been made in research laboratories that answer important questions about the connections between genes and behavior.

We are interested in wild populations of flies that naturally act “unusual”. Surprisingly, some of these actions are similar to mutants generated in the lab. What advantage do they provide, if any? And which genes are responsible?