Cellular and molecular mechanisms of ion transport by the insect excretory system

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

How do insects, as tiny animals with large surface to volume ratios that makes water evaporation all the more serious, invade every niche of the terrestrial environment and avoid desiccation? The answer is osmoregulation. The amazing evolutionary adaptations that allow insect to regulate their osmotic state have puzzled researchers for decades. Through my research I will further our understanding of osmoregulation and excretion in insects and the enormous diversity that this group has evolved. This knowledge will uncover not only new aspects of basic insect biology but will facilitate the rational development of cost-effective, insect specific and environmentally benign pest control measures. In addition, my research project will advance our understanding of fundamental mechanisms of epithelial physiology. One of the most interesting questions on epithelial physiology is the nature of the intracellular homeostatic mechanisms which regulate ion transporters to maintain transepithelial transport while defending cytosolic composition. Insect excretory epithelia are ideal models to study these mechanisms, that have remain elusive so far, thanks to the availability of molecular and physiological approaches not possible in vertebrate models. Funding from this grant will support the training of three graduate and five undergraduate students on molecular biology, advanced electrophysiology and pharmacology that will prepare them for careers in academia and in industry.