Nature: loneliness is hard to resist, even fruit flies can suffer from insomnia and overeating

"Drosophila has a specific response to social isolation," said Michael W.

The science of loneliness

Fruit flies are social animals

Therefore, when Wanhe Li, an assistant researcher in Young's laboratory, began to study the biological basis of long-term social isolation, she turned to the sociable and in-depth study of fruit flies

"When we don't have a road map, fruit flies become our road map," Li added

In this study, the researchers first compared the flight situation under different blockade conditions

Further research found that a set of genes related to hunger are expressed differently in the brains of lonely fruit flies-this is the enticing genetic basis for the observed link between loneliness and overeating

Li later discovered that a small group of brain cells called P2 neurons were involved in the observed changes in sleep and eating behavior

"We managed to make the fly think it has been quarantined for a long time," Li said

Young's laboratory painstakingly confirmed these observations

Explain " Quarantine 15 "

Scientists have observed that many social animals-from fruit flies to humans-eat more and sleep less when in isolation

This study is difficult to confirm that during the COVID-19 lockdown, humans eat more and sleep less for the same biological mechanisms that make lone fruit flies feel hungry and sleep deprived

Young said: “Clinical-oriented studies have shown that in the quarantine precautions in the past year, a large number of adults in the United States have significantly increased weight and lacked sleep due to COVID-19

Journal Reference :

1. Wanhe Li, Zikun Wang, Sheyum Syed, Cheng Lyu, Samantha Lincoln, Jenna O’Neil, Andrew D.