Exploring Intercourse Variations In Physique Dimension Utilizing The Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster)


Interviewee: Celena Cherian | PhD Candidate | Rideout lab | Division of Mobile and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The College of British Columbia| Authors/Editors: Romina Garcia de leon, Janielle Richards (Weblog Co-coordinators)

Revealed: December 6, 2024

Are you able to inform us about your analysis?

Within the animal kingdom, there are intercourse variations in physique measurement throughout many species. That is true for Drosophila (fruit flies) as properly, the place females are bigger than males. Moreover, intercourse variations inside species exist in a number of facets of physiology and metabolism. Due to this fact, my analysis mission entails exploring intercourse variations in physique measurement utilizing the fruit fly with the intention of elucidating the mechanism for these variations. I’m significantly within the larval adipose tissue biology as it is crucial for systemic development.

 

What led you to enterprise this analysis?

I used to be looking for labs that used imaging strategies to check cell biology, and mitochondrial biology specifically. This was the one lab that I got here throughout which employed these strategies whereas exploring intercourse variations. I used to be then struck by the truth that no one was learning intercourse variations on this space. This was the first motive I wished to do analysis within the space; the analysis was novel and I wished to be concerned in producing information on physiology and metabolism inside females. Moreover, I actually beloved the best way my supervisor wrote her papers. They have been very straightforward to grasp and I may see how passionate she was about science communication. I used to be bought earlier than I acquired into the lab and by chance I used to be capable of safe a place.

 

Are there any findings within the discipline and/or your examine you want to spotlight?

Prior literature reveals that ribosome and mitochondrial biology within the larval adipose tissue are each essential for mobile development, organism development, and physique measurement. Nonetheless, these papers didn’t use each sexes individually and as an alternative blended intercourse populations have been used. Many research additionally classically solely use males to check for metabolism, as a result of feminine hormones have been presumed to be confounding components which has created a spot within the contribution of mitochondrial and ribosome perform in cell development. 

This was the place to begin for our analysis and thus far we discovered that feminine larval adipose tissue has considerably increased ranges of mitochondrial and ribosomal protein genes than males. We’re at the moment working to analyze the mobile significance of this thrilling discovering.

 

The place do you see your analysis going?

I hope my analysis encourages others to investigate men and women individually within the discipline of metabolism and physiology as information on this space is restricted. I hope to grasp the function of protein synthesis and mitochondrial perform in regulating intercourse variations in development. I want to discover which pathways are concerned and in addition take a look at the impact of vitamins on these intercourse variations. Finally, I’m fascinated about wanting on the affect of intercourse willpower genes / intercourse chromosomes on these mobile features.

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