Scientists Can Now Genetically Manipulate Sexuality of Fruit Fly

Posted by Alex in Animal, Medicine, Science & Tech on December 14, 2007 at 6:10 pm


David Featherstone and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered a gene in fruit flies that control their sexual orientation!

The team led by University of Illinois at Chicago researcher David Featherstone has discovered that sexual orientation in fruit flies is controlled by a previously unknown regulator of synapse strength. Armed with this knowledge, the researchers found they were able to use either genetic manipulation or drugs to turn the flies’ homosexual behavior on and off within hours.

Featherstone, associate professor of biological sciences at UIC, and his coworkers discovered a gene in fruit flies they called "genderblind," or GB. A mutation in GB turns flies bisexual.

Link - via Differenceblog




Previous post
this post? Please email this            
Next post
FROM THE NEATORAMA ONLINE STORE » more



COMMENT

8 comments to "Scientists Can Now Genetically Manipulate Sexuality of Fruit Fly"

  1. Cori
    December 14th, 2007 at 9:14 pm

    I am disinclined to believe that they did anymore than confuse a flies gender identity or as they said “sexually overstimulate”. But if they did, I hope people realize that this sort of research often times cannot be applied to higher animals. Forgive me if my opinion is irrelevant; I happen to be very biased on the subject.

  2. Vonskippy
    December 14th, 2007 at 9:38 pm

    Now if they could just genetically manipulate Intelligence in Politicians they’d have something worthwhile.

  3. Don Carl
    December 14th, 2007 at 11:56 pm

    Note Cori’s immediate dismissal of the scientists’ work as irrelevant. If no one would choose to be homosexual, with all the crap they have to take (That’s the party line…) Why, would anyone avoid a cure for a genetic disorder? Had the scientists found a way to cure cancer, they’d be on their way to collect their Nobel’s, since they proved homosexuality can be fixed, they’ll be pilloried.

  4. sambie
    December 15th, 2007 at 12:15 am

    I totally agree Vonskippy!

  5. DietAether
    December 15th, 2007 at 8:23 am

    Comparing homosexuality to cancer is a bit, for lack of a better word, stupid. I don’t recall the last time anyone has died of TEH GHAY, and don’t say AIDS because that’s a heterosexual disease too. Same for hate crimes, you have just as good a chance of dying from the black bug (curse you Africa!) as you do if you are homosexual.
    Being a heterosexual male, I like being attracted to women. I’m sure the same can be said of anyone. It’s not a burden, and if someone said they invented a way to reverse that attraction in order to make me “normal” I would say no thank you. There’s probably a good reason fruit flies don’t write sonnets or invent the wheel.

  6. Cori
    December 16th, 2007 at 1:21 am

    Don Carl, I didn’t automatically dismiss the scientists’ opinions, rather, I openly said, feel free to dismiss mine (and it seems you did). If such discoveries were conclusive (they had said to have done the same with a worm, but later found out they messed up its gender identity), then it would provide definitive proof for the nature vs nurture debate that has raged for years.

    DietAether, you are correct. It’s not a burden to be attracted to someone (as a lesbian female), but it is a burden to be ridiculed for it.

  7. Lasse
    December 17th, 2007 at 5:40 am

    This is like finding the genetic code for having five fingers on each hand.

  8. Rob
    December 18th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    Thank God! Now we have a cure for heterosexuality!! Don Carl, you first!


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT

Neatorama Comment Policy
You don't have to register or login to comment, but it's easier if you do so. Comments aren't censored, but those that are abusive or off-topic may be edited or deleted.


Stay updated on the comments with Comment RSS