Carl Thummel's laboratory uses the fruit fly, Drosophila, to study roles for nuclear receptors in regulating growth, development, and metabolic homeostasis.

Rigor Mortis protein (red) is present in both the nuclei (green) and cytoplasm of third instar larval salivary gland cells Fluorescence is detected in the midgut of a larva that was fed NBD-cholesterol A small clone of mutant cells in the ring gland marked by an absence of GFP The nuclei in larval salivary gland cells are outlined with nuclear lamin protein A wing imaginal disc stained to detect Rigor Mortis protein (red) and a nuclear marker (green) The muscles of the larval midgut as revealed by phalloidin staining An embryo cuticle preparation visualized by dark field optics A YFP reporter expressed in the mitochondria of larval epidermal cells A larval brain lobe stained to detect Rigor Mortis protein (red) and a nuclear marker (green) A pharate adult fly just before it emerges from the pupal case Disembodied protein is expressed in ring gland cells (red), with DAPI staining the nuclei (white) Insulin-producing cells in the brain express DILP2>GFP dHNF4 protein is expressed in larval oenocytes Forkhead>GFP staining of the giant polytene nuclei in the larval salivary glands dHNF4 protein is present in the nuclei of larval midgut cells Lipid droplets (red) in a third instar larval fat body, with individual cells outlined by phallodin staining (green) Muscles that line the third instar larval midgut are stained by phalloidin Anterior end of a second instar larva stained for mitochondria showing a cross section of the brain and flanking muscle