shibire

Where it comes from

From Japanese しびれ (shibire, “numbness, paralyzed”). Coined by Japanese-Canadian geneticist and zoologist David Suzuki, its discoverer. Originally discovered in its temperature sensitive form, shibire(ts), which caused the afflicted flies to drop from the sky on a temperature change, appearing to be a gene causing paralysis. Suzuki, referencing his Japanese heritage, chose a Japanese term for being paralyzed as the gene's name.