Researchers led by Vanessa Ruta at Rockefeller University have challenged the long-held 'surge and cast' model of how fruit flies navigate odor plumes, showing they use a more advanced mechanism than previously thought. The team developed a specialized treadmill setup in complete darkness to study how flies track turbulent, intermittent scent trails—a problem previously difficult to observe due to the invisible nature of odors.
Background
Fruit fly olfactory navigation has been a longstanding question in neuroscience, with the 'surge and cast' model dominating for decades. This research could have broader implications for understanding sensory processing in small-brained organisms.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Aug 1, 2026 at 06:00 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10