WL Wu Lab Neural control of appetite and homeostasis

Approach

Drosophila model system

From membrane excitability to motivated feeding.

We study homeostatic control across levels of analysis by combining electrophysiology, genetics, imaging, and behavior in one experimental system.

Readouts

Membrane potential, circuit activity, and nutrient choice.

Advantage

Drosophila lets us connect single-cell physiology to behavior with precision.

Experimental toolkit

  • Whole-cell electrophysiology in the fly brain
  • Functional imaging and immunohistochemistry
  • Drosophila genetics and circuit dissection
  • High-throughput feeding behavior analysis
  • Comparative thinking across neuroscience and metabolism

Why this combination matters

By combining rigorous physiology with genetic and behavioral tools, we can ask mechanistic questions that are difficult to access in other systems and connect single-cell state to nutrient-specific action.