"This was the final part of the puzzle, " said Dr Tom Clarke, a lecturer at the school of biological sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA), who led the research.

BBC: Bacteria power 'bio-battery' breakthrough

Dr Mar Carmena is based at the School of Biological Sciences and has been studying fruit flies for the past 25 years.

BBC: Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland

Lead researcher Dr Mohammad Hajihosseini, from the university's school of biological sciences, said the discovery could eventually offer a permanent solution for tackling obesity - but it would take up to five or 10 years to translate the findings into humans.

BBC: Appetite control could be rewired, say researchers