Drosophila as a model organism

Engineered E. coli show that microbe-made putrescine lengthens fruit-fly life

Researchers in Japan engineered gut E. coli to make or withhold putrescine, and the producing strains raised male fly lifespan to 13.8 days from 11.0. The design isolates a microbial metabolite as a cause, though the effect broke down in females.