News From the Field
The Buzz Around Beer

November 17, 2011

Ever wondered why flies are attracted to beer? Entomologists at University of California, Riverside, have, and offer an explanation. They report that flies sense glycerol that yeasts make during fermentation. Specifically, they found that Gr64e, a receptor associated with neurons located in the fly's mouth-parts, is instrumental in signaling a good taste for beer. Once a fly has settled on beer, Gr64e detects glycerol and transmits this information to the fly's neurons. Full Story

Source
University of California, Riverside

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