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Irresistible to their species

Posted by Robin on 16 October 2009 14 Comments

Scientists at the University of Toronto found that by genetically tweaking fruit flies so they failed to produce a particular type of pheromone or odour, it turned them irresistible to their species.

— Read more at Scientists create 'sexual tsunami' at the UK Telegraph.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: animals and bugs, olfaction

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14 Comments

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  1. boojum says:
    16 October 2009 at 10:55 am

    Now, if they could just genetically tweak them in the opposite direction so there’d be fewer OF them….

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    • Zazie says:
      16 October 2009 at 11:59 am

      LOL!! 😀
      I second that!

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    • Robin says:
      16 October 2009 at 11:59 am

      LOL! True.

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    • Bunny says:
      16 October 2009 at 12:22 pm

      Especially in Toronto… I swear there’s an infestation at the end of every summer!

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  2. miss kitty v. says:
    16 October 2009 at 11:25 am

    I’m going to be giggling to myself about this all day. I can’t help but wonder what practical applications this has, or if the scientists just got high one day and someone said, “You know what would be awesome? If we removed the pheromones from fruit flies…Why? Because we CAN, dude! Because we can!”

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    • Robin says:
      16 October 2009 at 11:59 am

      HA…hope it had more of a purpose than that, but it’s nice to imagine!

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  3. bergere says:
    16 October 2009 at 11:35 am

    You can imagine the future perfume ad copy: “Drive your man wild. Attraction, by New Industrial Perfumes. Does not contain pheromones.”

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    • Robin says:
      16 October 2009 at 11:59 am

      Or “masks your own (bad) pheromones…”

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  4. daseined says:
    16 October 2009 at 1:17 pm

    I am a scientist and just saw this group present this work at a conference a couple of weeks ago. It is very exciting work with important evolutionary implications, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that what really won my heart was the presenter (a darling Swiss man) talking about *perfuming flies*! They roll them around in a small tube lined with the “scent,” not unlike how I think some of our undergrads apply their tooth-achingly sweet fruity florals.

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    • Robin says:
      16 October 2009 at 3:03 pm

      Oh what fun, thanks for posting!

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    • miss kitty v. says:
      16 October 2009 at 4:25 pm

      If they also put lipstick on them and dress them up in little outfits, then I still stand by my original statement.

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      • Robin says:
        16 October 2009 at 9:49 pm

        Excellent!

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  5. Dolly says:
    16 October 2009 at 4:15 pm

    Robin- Thanks for the post. Brought a much needed chuckle to my day. As for the article, of course we have a more complex ritual. Can you picture a fruit fly pondering the thought of where to take a date for dinner? I think the apple might be good. No!Wait! That half eaten pear over there might get me some action later. LOL.

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    • Robin says:
      16 October 2009 at 9:49 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it!

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