The Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH hosts the second edition of the Drosophila Spanish Meeting

13 de April de 2026

The Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint research centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), has organised the second Spanish Drosophila Conference, a meeting that brought together the broad national scientific community using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model organism to study fundamental biological processes.

Group photo of participants at the II Spanish Drosophila Meeting. Source: IN CSIC-UMH

The conference aimed to bring together Spanish researchers working with the fruit fly across a wide range of fields, from molecular and cell biology to development, neurobiology, evolution, and systems biology. Spain has a strong tradition in this field, built on the contributions of leading scientists who have driven advances in many areas of biology. In this context, the meeting sought to showcase the breadth and diversity of current research using this model organism, foster interactions among research groups, and promote the role of the next generation of scientists.

The conference, which brought together more than 100 scientists, was structured around eight scientific sessions covering key areas of current research: cell dynamics, stem cells & regeneration, morphogenesis & patterning, evolution, disease models, neuroscience, gene regulation, and physiology & ageing.

Over the three days, plenary lectures were delivered by Pau Carazo-Salas, Professor at Universitat de València; Zita Carvalho-Santos, researcher at the João Lobo Antunes Institute of Molecular Medicine (Portugal); and Sarah Bray, Professor at the University of Cambridge, all of them internationally recognised leaders in the fields of developmental biology and genetics. The meeting also included two poster sessions, which provided participants with the opportunity to present and discuss their latest results.

As part of the programme, the conference included a tribute to Antonio García-Bellido, a key figure in the development of genetics and developmental biology in Spain and an international reference in the use of Drosophila as a model organism. The session, introduced by José Carlos Pastor Pareja (IN CSIC-UMH), Antonio Baonza, and Luis Alberto Baena (both from the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Centre, CSIC-UAM), featured contributions from leading national and international figures in developmental biology and genetics. Speakers included Eloísa Herrera, President of the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology (SEBD); CBMSO CSIC-UAM researchers Ginés Morata and José Félix de Celis; Cassandra Extavour, President of the Genetics Society of America; and Marco Milán, President of the European Drosophila Society, who reflected on García-Bellido’s scientific legacy and his impact on the international research community.

At the local level, the conference was organised by IN researchers Javier Morante, who leads the Neuroendocrine Control of Organ Growth and Sexual Maturation laboratory; José Carlos Pastor Pareja, head of the Cell-to-tissue Architecture in the Nervous System laboratory; and Juan Antonio Sánchez Alcañiz, who leads the Neurogenetic Bases of Behaviour laboratory.

More information at the official website: https://drosospain.umh.es/

Source: Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH (in.comunicacion@umh.es)