Taste adaptations to host specialization in specialist species of Drosophila.
Carolina Reisenman, Associate Researcher
Molecular and Cell Biology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2023 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2024.
Chemosensory-driven hostplant specialization is a major force mediating insect ecological adaptation and speciation. In particular, the role of the olfactory system in mediating host specialization is well understood in many insect species, but that of the taste sensory system has been much less studied, despite its primordial role in enabling organisms to recognize food.
Drosophila sechellia is a fruit fly species endemic to the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean which exclusively feeds and oviposits on Morinda citrifolia. This fruit is harmless to D. sechellia but toxic to many other Drosophilidae, including the closely related generalist species D. simulans and D. melanogaster. While several olfactory adaptations mediating the preference of D. sechellia for its host have been uncovered, the role of the taste system in this process, although suspected, is not completely understood. Moreover, this fly species lost not only many olfactory receptors, but also many gustatory “bitter” receptors. The goal of this broad ongoing project is to investigate the taste and feeding responses of D. sechellia, and compare them with those of its close generalist relatives.
Role: This project uses behavioral methods to study fly taste and feeding responses. The student/s will learn how to rear and sort flies, learn fly genetics, fly husbandry, laboratory methods, conduct behavioral experiments, collect and analyze data, and chemical ecology methods as necessary. They will also use tools readily available to investigate the role of chemosensory proteins in host specialization, such as D. melanogaster mutants, lines in which specific neuronal types can be activated or suppressed, etc. The experiments will be conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Kristin Scott, under the supervision and direction of Dr. Carolina Reisenman.
Qualifications: Qualifications: Introductory biology; general chemistry highly desirable.
The student/s should be curious, highly motivated and have a responsible attitude in the lab. The student is also expected to be interested in reading research articles, maintain a well-organized research notebook and write down protocols. A positive attitude is a must!
The student should be available 8-10 hours during weekdays, and 2-3 hours (or more if case of scheduling conflicts during weekdays) during weekends. Please refrain from applying if you can't commit to at least 2-3 hours of work during weekends.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Drs. Carolina Reisenman and Teruyuki Matsunaga, Staff Researcher
Hours: 9-11 hrs
Related website: http://mcb.berkeley.edu/labs/scott/
Related website: http://mcb.berkeley.edu/labs/scott/reisenman/