Researchers at the University of Utah are Turning Fruit Flies Onto Cocaine

Fruit flies and humans share a lot of the same genes when it comes to disease, according to researchers at the University of Utah. For this reason, they are giving drugs to flies to better understand how to help people. 

Fruit Flies Aren’t Naturally Big Cocaine Users 

These flies react to the drug similar to humans and with such tiny life spans, studying them can help understand what cocaine does biologically. In studying cocaine use, these researchers have figured out a way to change how fruit flies feel about the drug. 

They were able to mute the strong response the flies had to the taste of cocaine and soon they turned them into little addicts. The fruit flies soon preferred water droplets with the drug mixed in. 

Studying Fruit Flies Can Help Determine What Genes Effect Addition 

Fruit flies only live for a day or so, and this makes it easier to identify and study the hundreds of genes that might relate to the drug. This will help them uncover treatments for people and better understand how genes cause dependence. 

Studying the small brain of the flies and what it looks like under the influence of cocaine will yield insight into human brains. Their findings have been published in a neuroscience journal if you want to dive deep. 

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It is always interesting to see what kind of research is taking place at universities in the state. Who knows what might happen if these modified fruit flies were to get out of the lab. The whole cocaine supply could be snorted up by tiny flying junkies.