Pakistani researchers sequenced the entire genome of an indigenous Drosophila melanogaster, the first insect genome in the country. Because the fruit fly shares 60% of human genetic material, this discovery by Dr. Mushtaq Hussain and his team at Dow University’s Fly Research Lab expands medical research in Pakistan. This makes it a useful model for genetics, drug testing, and illness studies.
The lab created the indigenous fly, ANU-1, named for its discoverer, Anusha Amanullah, with white eyes instead of red. After this discovery, students Iffat Waqar and Sukaina Arshad sequenced the genome, revealing new genetic variants.
Six Nobel Prizes have been awarded for the fruit fly’s work on genetics, immunity, and illnesses. Pakistan can build a research niche by sequencing the ANU-1 genome, offering a cost-effective and ethical alternative to mammalian models.
This revolutionary finding strengthens Pakistan’s scientific status and offers business prospects for producing and marketing fly strains for global research. The team’s accomplishment marks a turning point in Pakistani medical and genetic research.
Image Credits: https://sbasse.lums.edu.pk/representative-research-groups
