10:00
The Royal Society
July 4
The Royal Society
This activity is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2026.
Viruses have been infecting animals, including humans, for millions of years. Sometimes fragments of their genetic code get copied into the host’s DNA and passed on as tiny “fossils” hidden in our genomes.
The University of Edinburgh’s Institute of Ecology and Evolution hunts for these traces, called endogenous viral elements (EVEs), and uses fruit flies to test what they can tell us about past infections and today’s antiviral defences.
In this activity, you’ll join their team to get up close with live fruit flies under the microscope and find out how scientists read DNA to piece together ancient outbreaks, how our shared history with viruses continues to shape life, and how the humble fruit fly helps us read that history.
This event will be held in City of London 1 at the Royal Society on Saturday 4 July 2026, 10am – 6pm.
For all enquiries, please email us.