Descrizione del progetto
Studio innovativo sull’adattamento nutrizionale degli animali
Gli animali possiedono meccanismi chemiosensoriali periferici atti a ricercare e incorporare i nutrienti nei substrati di alimentazione e meccanismi interni di rilevamento dei nutrienti per valutare le proprie esigenze. Il progetto ECONUTRISENS, finanziato dall’UE, si propone di comprendere la relazione tra questi meccanismi di rilevamento dei nutrienti e le esigenze nutrizionali di una specie in relazione alla sua finalità ambientale e alla sua storia evolutiva. Il progetto modellerà il tema su uno studio comparativo tra le recenti specie di parassiti globali e . ECONUTRISENS applicherà un metodo innovativo per studiare la nutrizione, integrando tre livelli di analisi: la composizione nutrizionale del loro ambiente, i parametri metabolici larvali insieme all’attività delle vie di segnalazione sensibili ai nutrienti e la funzione del sistema chemiosensoriale periferico legato al rilevamento dei nutrienti.
Obiettivo
Animals need to feed to incorporate nutrients -amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids. Since feeding substrates contain varying concentrations of these nutrients, animals have in place peripheral chemosensory mechanisms to search for them, and internal nutrient sensing mechanisms to assess their needs. Additionally, species occupying different ecological niches have evolved to profit from feeding substrates with different nutritional composition. My goal is to understand the relationship between these nutrient sensing mechanisms and a species’ nutritional needs, in the context of its ecological niche and its evolutionary history. I propose to model this subject on a comparative study between the recent global pest species Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster. Although both are generalist species that feed on overripe fruits as adults, D. suzukii has conquered a new egg laying niche, the ripening fruit, which implies a new nutritional landscape for the developing larva. I will address this subject by integrating three levels of analysis. First, the nutritional composition of their environment, the host fruits, and how it is affected by larval activity. Second, larval metabolic parameters and the activity of nutrient sensitive signaling pathways. Third, the function of the the peripheral chemosensory system related to nutrient sensing. I will accomplish this by translating tools generated on the model species D. melanogaster for the study of physiology and metabolism to D. suzukii. Through this action I will apply an innovative approach to the study of nutrition that integrates its ecological, physiological, chemosensory and evolutionary aspects. I will generate knowledge on the biology of D. suzukii, important for the fight against the growing pest. Importantly, this project will restart my career in academia after an unintentional break and I will train in the new skills I need to become an independent group leader on this same research topic.
Campo scientifico
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growing
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculescarbohydrates
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryamines
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
80539 Munchen
Germania