Researchers seeking new insights into the roots of alcohol abuse in humans are trying a new technique -- getting fruit flies drunk. The research, appropriately enough, is being conducted at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, where scientists have found a gene -- nicknamed "cheapdate" -- that makes it easier for the flies to get drunk. Tests showed the insects could attain an alcohol level as high as 0.2 percent, twice the legal limit for driving in most countries.
Fly High
Researchers seeking new insights into the roots of alcohol abuse in humans are trying a new technique -- getting fruit flies drunk. The research, appropriately enough, is being conducted at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, where scientists have found a gene -- nicknamed "cheapdate" -- that makes it easier for the flies to get drunk. Tests showed the insects could attain an alcohol level as high as 0.2 percent, twice the legal limit for driving in most countries.
