Drosophila as a genetic model system for understanding human biology and disease

The Drosophila model system is an excellent choice for researchers trying to understand human biology and disease processes. The fly has a short life cycle and is easy to culture and observe. The genome of the fly is also relatively simple, and it has been essentially completely sequenced. For any given fly gene, there are typically four homologs in the mouse, and zebrafish usually have an additional duplication. When a gene is knocked out in one of these higher organisms with a more complex genome, it can often be difficult to discern a phenotype. The relative lack of redundancy in the Drosophila genome makes it much easier to associate phenotypes with single mutational events.