Dr. Suewei Lin decodes the neural circuit mechanisms of hunger and thirst in the Drosophila brain

Hunger and thirst control foraging behaviors that are essential for the survival of almost all animals. Despite their importance, the neural basis for hunger and thirst control of behavior remains unresolved in any animal. Dr. Suewei Lin’s research team has provided an important piece of this puzzle by identifying a neuropeptide in the fly brain that signals both hunger and thirst. They have also revealed an elegant brain circuit mechanism explaining how this neuropeptide influences flies’ foraging decisions by modulating two distinct populations of neurons in the brain.