How ecdysone directs the progression of wing disc development in Drosophila melanogaster

Hormones help control how tissues grow and develop. In insects, ecdysone is released in pulses, but how tissues read these changes is not well understood. Using the larval tissue that will become the wing of Drosophila melanogaster, I developed a tissue culture system using microfluidics that can deliver precise hormone levels over time. I found that ecdysone alone reduced tissue growth, even with insulin present. This suggests ecdysone helps coordinate development rather than directly making tissues grow.