Sex and the Single Fly: A Perspective on the Career of Bruce S. Baker

Abstract

Abstract Bruce Baker's laboratory made a huge impact on our understanding of Drosophila sex determination mechanisms. To celebrate these accomplishments, members of Bruce's laboratory describe the trailblazing science that led to mechanistic understanding of how sex differences... Bruce Baker, a preeminent Drosophila geneticist who made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the molecular genetic basis of sex differences, passed away July 1, 2018 at the age of 72. Members of Bruce’s laboratory remember him as an intensely dedicated, rigorous, creative, deep-thinking, and fearless scientist. His trainees also remember his strong commitment to teaching students at every level. Bruce’s career studying sex differences had three major epochs, where the laboratory was focused on: (1) sex determination and dosage compensation, (2) the development of sex-specific structures, and (3) the molecular genetic basis for sex differences in behavior. Several members of the Baker laboratory have come together to honor Bruce by highlighting some of the laboratory’s major scientific contributions in these areas.