As discussed in the Background, in our research approach, we pursued a gene ranking algorithm constructed to integrate data on ethanol-related genes across species. We recognized that direct behavioral parallels with ethanol response across humans, mice, Drosophila and C. elegans were likely to be tenuous or non-existent. However, molecular commonalities underlying ethanol responses across species, if they could be identified, should provide a powerful validation mechanism for candidate genes involved in ethanol behavioral responses, even if those particular behavioral components differ across species.
