# Fruit fly neural system mapping research > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/fruit-fly-neural-system-mapping-research > Updated: 2026-09-11T16:14:51.000Z. Sources: 16. Developments: 5. Scientific research into the Drosophila melanogaster nervous system has progressed from molecular mapping to complete cellular-scale reconstruction. Initial collaborative research between Italian and British institutions focused on the molecular mapping of the nervous cord. This study identified that neurons carry a molecular “barcode” related to their generation order and explored the mechanisms of sexual dimorphism through programmed cell death. Subsequent research, involving the University of Cambridge and the Janelia Research Campus, utilized artificial intelligence to reconstruct a three-dimensional map of the entire male fruit fly central nervous system. This map includes over 166,000 neurons and approximately 125 million synaptic connections. By comparing this to existing female brain maps, researchers determined that a 5% difference in neural cells drives specific male behaviors, such as aggressive reflexes, tracking females, and mating songs. In a major milestone, researchers from Google and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus completed a comprehensive map of the male fruit fly’s central nervous system. This achievement provides a complete connectome, detailing the physical structure and wiring of the brain and the ventral nerve cord. The dataset comprises approximately 166,691 neurons and roughly 11,700 cell types, connected by hundreds of millions of synapses. Following the publication of the MaleCNS v1.0 dataset, developers have begun applying the neural map to digital environments. Software engineer Alex Wormuth utilized the connectome to train a simulated brain to play Doom, where game frames stimulate sensory neurons and dopamine cell stimulation serves as reinforcement. Other developers have expanded these simulations to include Beat Saber, Super Mario 64, and Minecraft. Additionally, the Flywire AI project, a collaboration with Princeton University, has performed similar simulations using a female fruit fly brain model containing over 160,000 neurons. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-11: Google's mapped fruit fly brain model trained to play video games Engineers are using Google’s newly mapped male fruit fly brain model to play video games like Doom, Beat Saber, and Super Mario 64 through neural mapping and reinforcement learning. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/googles-mapped-fruit-fly-brain-model-trained-to-play-video-games ### 2026-09-08: Google maps fruit fly brain and nervous system Researchers have mapped the complete brain and nervous system of a male fruit fly, leading to experiments where the neural model is used to play video games like Doom and Super Mario 64. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/google-and-hhmi-map-fruit-fly-brain-with-166000-neurons ### 2026-09-06: Google and Janelia researchers map male fruit fly brain Scientists from Janelia Research Campus and Google have mapped the complete central nervous system of a male fruit fly, detailing over 166,000 neurons and hundreds of millions of synaptic connections. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/google-and-janelia-researchers-map-male-fruit-fly-brain ### 2026-09-04: Scientists map complete neural connections in male fruit fly brain Scientists have mapped the male fruit fly's entire nervous system, revealing how a 5% difference in neural circuits drives distinct behaviors like aggression and mating rituals. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/scientists-map-complete-neural-connections-in-male-fruit-fly-brain ### 2026-08-06: Italian‑British Study Maps Fruit Fly Nervous System Italian and UK researchers mapped the fruit‑fly nervous system, uncovering a molecular barcode that defines neuron identity and sex‑specific development, with data now publicly available. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italianbritish-study-maps-fruit-fly-nervous-system --- Cite as: Fruit fly neural system mapping research. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/fruit-fly-neural-system-mapping-research