The Insect's Summon: The Fly's Call
In a concerning development, the future of Flybase, a renowned reference work for genes and proteins of the fruit fly, is under threat. The database, which has been collecting knowledge about these genes for over 30 years, has been a critical resource for biomedical research, particularly in epigenetics, neurobiology, and developmental biology.
Katja Roeper, Norbert Perrimon, and Brian Calvi, among others, are currently in discussions with European scientific funding agencies, aiming to find a long-term solution for Flybase. However, the financial pressure on Flybase is not an isolated case. Other databases for mouse, zebrafish, C. elegans, and important plant resources are also under strain.
The lack of available funding opportunities in Europe for maintaining scientific infrastructure and databases is a significant factor in this predicament. The Max Planck Society, a prominent research organisation, has expressed concern over the current developments but, as a publicly funded institution, cannot decide ad hoc to provide support.
The significance of Flybase cannot be overstated. Drosophila, the fruit fly, has provided biomedical insights that have earned ten Nobel Prizes. Approximately 75% of all genes that can cause diseases in humans have an equivalent in the fruit fly, making Drosophila research crucial for understanding human health and disease.
Scientists in Europe assess that the disappearance of Flybase could render hundreds of Drosophila labs non-functional. This could potentially halt ongoing research projects and delay the discovery of new insights in these vital fields.
The database was last funded with around three million US dollars through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. However, the reduction of research funds by the US government has put Flybase in a precarious position. The consequences of the current financial situation are not yet fully foreseeable, but tens of thousands of employees have been laid off in the US healthcare sector, millions in funding have been cut in cancer research, and overall funds amounting to several billion have been cut.
Despite the European Council's goal, set 25 years ago, to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world," research savings are currently being made in Germany and Europe. The President of the European Research Council, Maria Leptin, states that the ERC does not have flexible funds to step in and can only receive 1.3% of all EU funds for research and development.
As the situation unfolds, the scientific community and the public alike are urged to recognise the importance of Flybase and similar resources. The potential loss of such a vital tool for biomedical research could have far-reaching implications for our understanding of human health and disease.
