Written by Princeton University Oct. 8, 2015 Courtesy of the National Science Foundation: Directorate for Engineering (ENG)Lords of the fruit flies: What goes into fruit fly courtship? It might seem like an odd question, but understanding its neural underpinnings--and studying the male-female interactions at the milliscale level--could help us better understand the complexities of social behavior. A Princeton University team--neuroscientist Mala Murthy and physicists William Bialek and Joshua Shaevitz--will stimulate individual neurons as the fruit flies (Drosophila) conduct complex courtship behaviors. They will also develop mathematical models that predict the dynamics of interactive behavior. Source National Science Foundation Research Area Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology Quantitative & Computational Biology