Already, researchers have found CREB in mice and altered it to create a memory-impaired mouse, he says. A memory-improved mouse has not emerged, yet. Flies in love Another behavior that has caught the interest of researchers is sex. Brandeis' Hall has used fruit flies to find genes that affect mating and courtship. Flies, like humans, make an elaborate affair out of courtship.
Males do most of the work.
They start by tapping females on the abdomen with a foreleg. Female fruit flies refuse to mate with males who do not perform all of these steps in the proper order. It's not just wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Altering this gene also changes the fly's eye color from the normal red to white. The per gene also affects courtship.