A group of scientists led by Dr. Mushtaq Hussain at the Fly Research Lab in Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) developed a special type of fruit fly from Pakistan. Another team then studied its complete genetic code.
The fruit fly, called Drosophila melanogaster, shares about 60% of its genes and 75% of its disease-related genes with humans. Because of this, it’s often used in labs to study human diseases and test new medicines. Scientists have already used the fruit fly to model over 500 human diseases.
For more than 100 years, this tiny insect has helped us learn about genes, chromosomes, evolution, and even human health. It has been so important that six Nobel Prizes have been awarded to researchers studying fruit flies. Some people even call it “a human with wings.”
Pakistani Fruit Fly Discovery
In 2021, a student named Anusha Amanullah, under Dr. Hussain’s guidance, found a fruit fly with white eyes instead of the usual red ones. This was the first mutant fruit fly discovered in Pakistan. Anusha bred these flies and discovered even more flies with white eyes after three generations. Dr. Hussain named this new type of fly “ANU-1” after Anusha.
Anusha received a fully funded scholarship for her PhD at Oxford University. She believes that studying this special fruit fly will help scientists in Pakistan explore human diseases using advanced genetic tools.
Further Research
Anusha’s research was continued by other students, Iffat Waqar and Sukaina Arshad, who in 2023, successfully mapped out the entire genetic code of ANU-1. After months of hard work, they submitted their findings to the National Center for Biotechnology in the U.S., where it was published for the world to see.
Economic Value of the Fruit Fly
Years of research have made Pakistan a key player in fruit fly discoveries. The white-eyed fruit fly is commonly used to study brain diseases because it’s much cheaper than using animals like mice. Research centers like the one in the U.S. sell thousands of fruit flies for $100 per pair. There is potential for Pakistan to also benefit from this by breeding and selling fruit flies for research.
Dr. Hussain believes that having the full genetic map of Pakistan’s fruit fly will open many new doors for scientific research in the country. Globally, universities have over 2,000 labs dedicated to studying fruit flies, but Pakistan has only just begun to explore this field in depth. Thanks to the work at Dow University, Pakistan now has an advanced research lab to study these important insects.
