How do fruit flies smell?

Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) rely heavily on their sense of smell, and a large portion of their brain is dedicated to processing olfactory information. Recently, a group directed by Grace Boekhoff-Falk (University of Wisconsin, Madison) determined that the gene distal-less (dll) is essential for correct development of this olfactory system in fruit flies (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.1016741109; published online 17 January 2012).

Lab Anim. (NY) 41, 54 (2012).

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