Olfactory signal transduction in Drosophila melanogaster

Animals rely on chemosensory cues to detect food sources, dangers such as predators, and potential mates. We are studying how olfactory systems transmit complex chemical information received from the environment to the brain. In insects the current gap in our knowledge lies after the chemical signals have been received. We aim to identify and characterise the individual components of this gap using molecular genetic and cell biology approaches. The proposed project will thus provide us with new entry points to the olfactory signalling process, allowing us in the longer term to study the function of key genes.