Claude Desplan studies fruit flies as a model to unlock the mysteries of how we see color. Steven Small also uses fruit flies to ascertain which genes and proteins determine our early development. Christine Rushlow examines fruit flies to see how cells interpret different signals in order to determine what induces growth and differentiation. And Justin Blau studies the circadian rhythms, or the internal molecular clocks, of fruit flies to gain insight into what triggers our sleep/wake cycles.

These scientists and their colleagues are at the forefront of astonishing progress being made in gaining an understanding of the mechanisms by which complex organisms and all of their components arise from a single fertilized egg using model organisms. Because of their small size, rapid development, ease of manipulation and genetic tractability (including knowledge of their complete genome), the fruit fly, which was originally used to unravel many of the fundamental laws of classical genetics, has become one of the key experimental tools for the study of development.

Now, thanks in part to a $1.3 million research facilities construction grant from the National Institutes of Health and substantial support from FAS, all four of these developmental biologists will be conducting their research on the 10th floor of the Brown Building, the site of the newly constructed Center for Developmental Genetics. Bringing together the laboratories of these NYU biologists working with the fruit fly, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster, to unlock the secrets of development provides them not only with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities but also unprecedented opportunities for sharing resources and equipment and organizing research collaborations. The Center officially opened on March 21, 2003.

“Nothing benefits scientific research like having the input of colleagues who can speak your language,” said Small. “A community lab makes it much more efficient to do all the practical things we need to do, but the real advantage is the opportunity to easily consult with colleagues. That happens more naturally when we’re all sharing the same space.”

The new center incorporates special design features that include substantial open and shared space. While each scientist maintains his or her own lab area, resources such as temperature controlled chambers for growing and developing the flies, major equipment, reagents and other supplies are now shared and laid out in such a way as to make research much more efficient for the scientists.

“NYU’s Biology Department has great strength and depth in the area of developmental genetics, and a distinguished group of researchers working with various models,” said Peter Lennie, FAS Dean for Science and Principal Investigator on the NIH Facilities Grant. “In creating this new Center, our aim was to provide the ideal laboratory environment-one that not only offered outstanding facilities, but also fostered collaboration.”

In some cases, the Center will facilitate collaborations already in motion. Desplan and Blau are currently engaged in examining how vision and light perception trigger sleep/wake cycles. “All four of us work on development at various stages, so while our research is distinct, it’s also interrelated,” said Desplan. “Being together obviously makes working together easier, and the new set-up will likely lead to more joint projects in the future.”

Importantly, the new Center will give the many graduate and undergraduate students working in the Desplan, Blau, Rushlow and Small labs the unique experience of interacting with multiple labs and a large number of scientists with varied backgrounds at the same time. According to Rushlow, this is crucial in exposing them to different research projects and different techniques and practices, which could then inspire future research projects. “They benefit from the interaction just as much, if not more than we do, because they’re not learning in isolation.”