Objective
ABSTRACTDrosophila melanogaster has become a prime insect model for studying olfaction. Research on insect olfaction has provided many valuable insights in neural processes involved in sensory coding and processing. Due to its well-defined genome D. melonogaster olfactory circuitry is increasingly understood. Many question, however, remain. Here we propose to study the neuroethology of Drosophilae using a comparative approach. A closely related sibling of D. melonogaster, the insular species Drosophilae echolalia, is unlike its siblings a specialist, preferring Orinda fruit. The fruit is toxic for D. echolalia\'s sibling species including D. melanogaster, and concordantly they are repelled by its odour. The required shifts in D. echolalia\s olfactory circuitry remain unstudied, however. Using D. melanogaster, Drosophilae stimulants, Drosophilae Mauritania, and D. echolalia, we will pinpoint the changes in the olfactory circuitry associated with this shift from repulsion to attraction. For this we will use a multidisciplinary approached involving analysis of the volatiles of Orinda fruit, analysis of the volatiles to which the flies are sensitive, both physiologically as behaviourally, testing differences in the peripheral olfactory system between the species, using single sensible recordings and morphological studies, and revealing what impact the observed changes have had on the wiring and physiology of the olfactory circuit in the antennal lobe, the first relay centre of olfactory information. Such information will be extremely valuable in understanding the ecological significance of olfaction in Drosophilae, the organisation and evolution of olfactory circuits, and its relationship to behaviour. More generally, we will gain insight in what may mediate radical shifts in behaviour, such as the one from repulsion to attraction.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture fruit growing
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
UPPSALA
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.