Whether it’s making rash decisions or feeling grumpy, hunger can make us think and act differently—“hangry,” even. But little is known about how hunger signals in the gut communicate with the brain to change behavior. Associate Professor Sreekanth Chalasani, co-first author Molly Matty and colleagues are using worms as a model to examine the molecular underpinnings that help explain how hunger makes an organism sacrifice comfort and make risky decisions to get a meal. Their latest findings reveal that proteins in intestinal cells move dynamically to transmit signals about hunger, ultimately driving worms to cross toxic barriers to reach food. Similar mechanisms may also occur in humans and could explain how we prioritize basic needs over comfort.