Fruit Flies

The next time you swat at a buzzing pest, consider that its progeny may one day travel to the stars.A fruit fly is a scientist's best friend. Ever since Charles Woodworth suggested that Harvard University invest in the insect in 1909, experiments on fruit flies have spearheaded advances in genetics, cell biology, and medicine.As scientific exploration turned skyward, fruit flies were an obvious choice. In 1947 the United States strapped a few hapless flies to a V-2 rocket, launching them into the limelight as the first animals in space. In 2006 NASA sent 15 fruit flies into orbit on the space shuttle Discovery—which returned to Earth two weeks later with more than 3000 flies on board. When scientists discovered that microgravity had taken a serious toll on the flies' immune systems, NASA proposed a Fruit Fly Lab for the International Space Station, due to launch later this year.