Liberal Arts and Sciences
Yao Lab
Led by Zepeng Yao · Biology
What we study
The Yao Lab studies how brain circuits in fruit flies combine taste signals and hunger signals to control eating. They use genetic tools, live brain imaging, light‑activated neuron control, brain wiring maps, and behavior tracking.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Fruit flies
- Papers
- 5
Recent papers, explained
- Distributed control circuits across a brain-and-cord connectome
2026 · Nature
Explores how fruit fly brains and nerves work together.
- Connectomic mapping of pharyngeal and gut sensory circuits in adult Drosophila
2026 · iScience
Maps how fruit fly brains sense food and taste.
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- Gal4 drivers of the geosmin receptor Or56a exhibit ectopic expression in the labral sense organ of Drosophila
2025 · Scientific Reports
Discovers unexpected smell sensors in fruit fly taste organs.
- Fly Cell Atlas: A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of the adult fruit fly
2022 · Science
Creates a detailed map of all cells in a fruit fly.
- Serotonergic neurons translate taste detection into internal nutrient regulation
2022 · Neuron
Shows how brain cells detect taste and control hunger by sending signals to insulin cells.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Zepeng Yao hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.