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Disgust Circuit: Flies Sniff Out and Avoid Spoiled Food (1 of 3)

Caption: The ability to detect rotten food is so crucial for survival that even flies have a dedicated neural circuit to do just that, according to a study published on December 6th in the Cell Press journal Cell. The brain circuit allows flies to avoid feeding and laying eggs on fruit covered in toxic molds and bacteria and represents a unique, specialized system for detecting a repulsive odor.

Credit: Stensmyr et al., Cell

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Related news release: Disgust circuit: Flies sniff out and avoid spoiled food