As biomedical research prioritizes human models and translational promise, classic model organisms are increasingly dismissed. Here we argue that they have a lasting value, both in enabling discovery and in cultivating scientific thinking, by training researchers in systems reasoning, integrative thinking and independent inquiry.

Author summary In this study, we investigated the specificity of the two chitin synthases in D melanogaster, named Kkv and Chs2. Chitin synthases are enzymes that produce chitin, an abundant polysacch...

Chitin is a major component of arthropod extracellular matrices, including the exoskeleton and the midgut peritrophic matrix. It plays a key role in the development, growth and viability of insects. B...