UW Researchers Locate the Central Pattern Generator Driving Locomotion in Drosophila

Fruit fly standing on the surface of a banana.

UW Professor of Neurobiology & Biophysics John Tuthill and a team of collaborators have identified the Central Pattern Generator (CPG) in the fruit fly (Drosophila). The CPG is a network of neurons believed to coordinate walking independently — without direct input from the brain. Their findings are featured in The Transmitter; read the full article below.

Long-sought walking circuit found in fruit flies