Enjoy this animation of sleep neurons in a fruit fly... and while you are at it, did you know fruit flies are teaching us how some people can get by with 4-5 hours of sleep every night just fine?! It has to do with a genetic variant that boosts mitochondrial function! www.lsu.edu/blog/2026/03...

In our newest paper, we show that expression of a familial natural short sleep mutation in flies extends lifespan through enhanced mitochondrial physiology. First first-author paper for former graduate student Pritika Pandey! @pritika26.bsky.social @lsuscience.bsky.social @lsu.bsky.social

A familial natural short sleep mutation in dec2 extends healthspan and lifespan in Drosophila

Biological sciences; Genetics; Neuroscience

cell.com