Malaysian researcher applies analytical chemistry to fruit flies

A Malaysian researcher has applied analytical chemistry to the process of identifying fruit fly species, creating a means of detecting which species a fly belongs to using DNA electrophoresis.

Malaysian news agency Bernama reports that Dr Chua Tock Hing, a senior lecturer and researcher at Monash University Sunway Campus, can identify species from a tissue sample taken from any part of the fly's body, or from an egg.

The technique, named Molecular Entomology by the scientist, then applies the analytical chemistry process of gel electrophoresis to determine which species the fly belongs to.

"After two years of study, I have found a DNA method to identify these flies correctly according to their species," he confirmed on Friday, May 14th.

Sunway Campus is the Malaysia facility of Monash University, which is primarily based in Melbourne, Australia, but also has premises in South Africa and Europe, and conducts studies in vaccines against insect-borne illnesses.