I’m a fruit fly. An animated fruit fly created by Genome BC and animator Floyd Bishop (who I am named after) to help you to learn about science – genomics in particular – in a fun way.
Check out my video, Mi-To-Sis and tell me what you think. I’ll be starring in other videos throughout the year, so come back and visit often. As much as I am the “host” of this animated series, it’s all about you. Check out www.gened.ca for more interactive fun with science.
Who would have thought that a fruit fly could be discovered and rise to fame like this! It’s pretty awesome. There I was, just hanging around the bananas when they saw me – I guess my positive attitude and natural curiosity charmed them!
Of course, we fruit flies are pretty interesting characters…did you know that:
• Fruit Flies have gone into space with NASA? (Boy that must have been a tiny space suit! I am related to one of the “astronauts." He was my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandfather…and it was only in 2006!)
• We’re mostly small about 2 – 4 mm long …but some of us, especially our Hawaiian counterparts, can be as big as a housefly. (I think I must be doing something wrong …I should go get a personal trainer!)
• We’re the insect most commonly used to study genetic traits and chromosome mapping – maybe one day a fruit fly will win a Nobel Prize for our contribution to science! Maybe it will be ME! (Does anybody know when they hand out this award? The life cycle of a fruit fly is only 12 to 14 days – they better hurry!!)
