Collaborative Research: Functional Analysis of Proteins involved in the Dynamic Assembly of Chitin/Chitosan Laminae in the Insect Exoskeleton

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The cuticle (the insect equivalent of skin) is one of the structural innovations responsible for the ascendancy and predominance of insects in nature. This research project is a molecular genetic and biochemical approach designed to identify specific components of the cuticle that are critical for its assembly. The organization of the cuticle in the maturing elytron, a modified wing structure of the red flour beetle, will serve as a model tissue system for cuticle morphogenesis, a critical step in arthropod development. This research will lead to a greater understanding of the molecular basis and the dynamics of how various proteins and chitin interact to assemble the multi-layered cuticle with its distinctive chemical and mechanical properties. In addition, this project will allow training of three graduate students, several undergraduate students and a post-doctoral fellow, and also encourage them to pursue careers in pure or applied science. As a result of this research team's efforts in training and outreach to high school biology teachers, many high schools across the country now use the red flour beetle for genetics experiments and promotion of its use in education will continue. Results obtained from the pursuit of this research will be broadly disseminated in national and international meetings in the form of poster/oral presentations and in the form of refereed publications in mainstream journals. Resources (mutants and genetically engineered beetles) will be supplied to other researchers and high school teachers when requested. Details of available resources will also be uploaded in the popular Tribolium Genetics Website, which is maintained by this research group, and in the Tribolium genome database, "Beetlebase".