Allen Gibbs, professor in the UNLV School of Life Sciences, will speak at an upcoming Science Café Las Vegas. His talk is titled, "Survival of the Fattest: Evolving Flies to Study Obesity."

Obesity is a critical worldwide public health problem. Researchers have turned to model organisms to study the causes and consequences of obesity. One of these models is the common fruitfly. When flies are selected for the ability to survive starvation, they evolve to become extremely obese. Obese flies also have bad hearts, disrupted sleep, and other traits reminiscent of obesity-related disorders in humans. Most of the genes that have evolved in these flies also occur in humans. Although some are known to affect human body weight, others have completely unknown functions. Understanding these genes may lead to new ways to prevent and treat obesity.

Come join others for a lively science discussion, delicious food, and fun. Come at 6:30 p.m. to order your food and mingle. Those under 21 are welcome.