Thousands of scientists around the world use them to study genetics and developmental biology. They are ideal organisms. They are easy to grow, not too small and live only two weeks. They are considered so important that the scientists who established their significance won a Nobel prize in 1995. Importantly, they share most of their genes with humans.
Rival scientists say that technique can miss important bits of the sequence.
But Celera says the method catches everything that matters. Now they have to put them together. We have to close the gaps. It is estimated that the fruit fly will have anywhere between 12,000 and 20,000 genes - humans have between 80,000 and 100,000 genes. Until now, the most complex organism that has been sequenced is the flatworm, C. Elegans.