FLY IN THE OINTMENT

The amazing discoveries found using fruit flies. This week: Fighting infections A KEYSTONE of the human immune system is the Toll gene, which is crucial in unleashing ‘killer’ cells to fight infections.

It was identified by immunologists at Strasbourg University, who worked on fruit flies — which also have a version of this gene. The discovery won them the Nobel prize in 2011.

As humans and fruit flies share the same immune mechanism, the flies have been studied on board the International Space Station to try to work out why people in space are so susceptible to infections.

U.S. scientists found a lack of gravity causes the Toll gene to shut down. Ensuring that astronauts’ bodies experience some gravitational force on longer space trips, perhaps by spinning their spacecraft, could help their survival chances.