Lords of the Fly : Drosophila Genetics and the Experimental Life

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful! An affectionate tribute to the early flypushers.
Review: This is not a scientific textbook or laboratory manual. It is a wonderful commentary on the evolution of Drosophila, from a minor curiosity to entomologists and naturalists into a monolithic model organism in the biological sciences. It chronicles the history of the early Drosophila geneticists, and how they brought the little fruitfly to the forefront of genetic research. It begins with T.H. Morgan (the father of modern Drosophila genetics) and follows the adventures of his many disciples (Alfred Sturtevant, Calvin Bridges etc.). How they came to be associated with Morgan, where they went and what they did after leaving the Morgan lab, how many papers they published and on which subjects, and so on. It also describes the early work done by these people in a fascinating and personal way.

The book describes how the fruitfly, through 'founder effects,' came to dominate the world of genetics. The fly was easy to maintain, inexpensive to work with, and compliant with the university calendar (willing to take the summer off from research if the students and professors insisted). The organism was not particularly complicated physiologically, and it had a relatively short life span. Meaning that many generations of mutant flies could be analyzed in a single university semester.

For almost a century the Drosophilists have formed a tiny, close, and cooperative family within the larger scientific community, and this family is discussed with affection in this book. Speaking from personal experience I can say that Drosophilists are unlike any other group in the greater scientific community. They truly are a family. They all know each other personally (more or less), are willing to exchange ideas and materials readily and without non-disclosure agreements signed in triplicate by lawyers (a concept totally alien to the cut-throat fields of medicine, pharmacology, immunology, physiology etc.), and are willing to give credit where credit is due without petty jealousy or bruised egos (again, an alien concept to most other branches of science). After all, just how seriously CAN you take yourself when you are working with FRUITFLIES for a living? It has also been my experience that Drosophilists have the smallest egos, and the largest funnybones in the entire scientific community. This is evidenced by names they frequently give to the genetic mutations they uncover. ("bus driver" for a mutation that causes fly larvae to move slowly and meander. "cheap date" for a mutation that makes flies more susceptible to the effects of alcohol. A far cry from medical researchers, commanding million dollar research budgets, shamelessly naming genetic syndromes after themselves!) The unique and generous nature of this family is discussed in the book. Now that Drosophila has become a model organism, being used and patented by multinational pharmaceutical companies, I fear that the days of the Drosophila family as we have come to know it are numbered. But I am glad that somebody has documented how things used to be, and how wonderful they were.

For most of us who learned about Drosophila genetics from cold, sterile and boring texts this book is a refreshing change! It brings the early days of Drosophila genetics to a personal level. The book is very entertaining, provocative, and chocked full of photographs and diagrams. It is good light reading, and I highly recommend it for all Drosophilists (and other biologists and scientists) who are interested in the history and origins of their profession.