Understanding how the brain remembers alcohol tolerance in fruit flies
Official title: Engram encoding for ethanol tolerance in Drosophila
Funded at University of California, Merced · NIH-11063201 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how the brain creates lasting changes that lead to alcohol tolerance, using fruit flies to uncover new insights.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, Merced NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Merced, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $389,633 |
| NIH project number | 5R33AA028352-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11063201 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients living with alcohol use disorders may eventually benefit from the insights gained from this basic science research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not affected by alcohol use disorders would not directly benefit from this particular line of research.
What this research studies
We are working to identify the specific brain cells and molecular changes that allow fruit flies to develop a tolerance to alcohol. By studying these 'engrams' in the fly brain, we can learn how the brain adapts to alcohol exposure. This approach allows us to look at the entire brain and discover the fundamental ways alcohol affects brain circuits. Our goal is to understand the complex actions of alcohol on the brain by comparing how different types of tolerance are formed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this foundational work could lead to new ways to understand, diagnose, and treat alcohol use disorders in people.
How similar studies have gone: While some engrams for alcohol have been described in mammals, this approach uses fruit flies to explore whole-brain mechanisms and molecular details in a novel way.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, Merced
Merced, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wolf, Frederick W — University of California, Merced
- Study coordinator: Wolf, Frederick W
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.