There isn’t much to like about fruit flies, unless you are Pankaj Kapahi.
The newest scientist at Marin County’s Buck Institute for Age Research is passionate about them.
In fact, the 33-year-old disciple of famed fly aficionado and researcher Seymour Benzer has close to a million of the little critters in dozens of beakers lining the shelves of his laboratory in Novato.
His research on flies has helped reveal potential dangers in high-protein eating plans such as the Atkins diet and could lead to treatments for such health problems as obesity.
In short, by feeding, poking, prodding and putting flies through a host of scientific indignities, he is searching for ways to make people live longer.
