People who endure damaged digits, scraped knees and broken legs in car accidents usually have to grit their teeth and bear the pain until help arrives. But when the clock is ticking down and life is running short, what genes control the survival instinct-the will to live, no matter what?
Researchers at UTM have cracked genetic code for survival by studying a most unlikely organism, the fruit fly.
“Fruit flies are so unappreciative of their lives,” said researcher Dr. Billy Jigsaw. “They buzz from fruit to fruit without any thought to the fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers that litter their domain.”
In several controversial experiments, published this month in The Journal of Legitimate Science, Jigsaw put flies in a race for survival and extracted the genes (the RNA, specifically) of those who survived and died. The genes were mixed with radioactive dyes and spread on a microarray, a slide of silicone plated with all the genes in the fruit fly. Genes that were active in fruit flies “light up,” allowing Jigsaw to infer which genes underlie the survival instinct.
“[Microarrays] light up just like children’s faces on Christmas morning,” Jigsaw said with a toothy grin. “What’s under the tree?”
“By comparing the active genes between flies who passed their tests and those who didn’t, I’ve located the trio of genes that create the survival instinct.” Jigsaw has dubbed the genes SAW1, 2 and 3.
“I saw it first,” he called, reserving dibs.
As part of his experimental protocol, Jigsaw videotaped his subjects as they grappled with survival. In one video, fruit flies were shown tethered by all six legs to a thin rod, just out of reach of a rotting apple. In order to get the apple the flies needed to rip off their legs and move their mangled bodies to the apple on wing power alone.
“To get the food they need to fly,” chanted Jigsaw.
In another experiment, flies have one minute to remove a metal contraption fitted on their heads, or else the headgear snaps and rips their heads apart.
Several students have voiced outrage at the nature of Jigsaw’s experiments.
“It’s sick! You can hear the flies squealing!” said third-year student Stabbatha Backington, a student in Jigsaw’s genetics course. Enrollment in the class has dwindled by 83 per cent since September, which Backington attributes to the graphic nature of the videos shown to students. However, she has stuck with the class.
“He’s a real easy marker and I want to get into med school,” she confessed.
Citing the importance of his work, U of T’s Governing Council has given Jigsaw the green light to begin isolating the survival gene in humans.
“I can’t do it alone,” Jigsaw said. “Who wants to lend a helping hand?”
