Context:

Pune is set to host the fifth edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5), which is being organized in the country for the first time by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER).

About

Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conferences.

• The Asia Pacific DrosophilaResearch Conferences (APDRC) are biennial events that aim to promote the interaction of Drosophila Researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with their peers in the rest of the world.
• The conference includes sessions, like Gametogenesis & Stem Cells, Pattern Formation, Morphogenesis &Mechanobiology, Hormones & Physiology, Cellular Neurobiology, Behavioural Neurobiology, Infection & Immunity, and Ecology & Evolution.
• The 5th Conference (6th Jan to 10th Jan) will feature 430 delegates: 330 Indian and 100 foreign.
• It will see the participation of two Nobel laureates, professors Eric Wieschaus and Michael Rosbash, known for their seminal contribution to the fields of developmental biology and chronobiology respectively.
• The last four editions of this conference took place in Taipei, Seoul, Beijing and.

Drosophila

• The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster, ‘Drosophila’ hereafter) is the most extensively used and one of the most well understood of all the model
• Drosophila is ideal for the study of genetics and development.
• Several discoveries in biology have been made using this. Its genome is entirely sequenced and there is enormous information available about its biochemistry, physiology, and behavior.
• The complete genome sequence of Drosophila was published in 2000.
• Its genome is 168,736,537 base pairs in length and contains 13,937 protein-coding genes.

Drosophila is vital for humans

• Close similarities: The relationship between fruit fly and human genesis so close that often the sequences of newly discovered human genes, including disease genes, can be matched with equivalent genes in the fly. 75 percent of the genes that cause disease in humans are also found in the fruit fly.
• Easy observation: Drosophila has a short, simple reproduction cycle. It is normally about 8-14 days, depending on the environmental temperature. This means that several generations can be observed in a matter of months.
• Inexpensive researches: Fruit fly is small (3 mm long) but not so small that it can’t be seen without a microscope. This allows scientists to keep millions of them in the laboratory at a time. They are inexpensive to maintain in the laboratory.
• Polytene chromosomes: Drosophila has ‘polytene’ chromosomes, which means that they are oversized and have barcode-like banding patterns of light and dark. During early Drosophila research scientists could therefore easily identify chromosomal re-arrangements and deletions under the microscope.
• The long and distinguished history of research devoted to the study of the fruit fly means that a remarkable amount is now known about its biology.

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research:

• The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune is a premier institute dedicated to research and teaching in the basic sciences.
• It was established in 2006 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. In 2012, it was declared as an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament.