Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Nancy Thi

Chemosensory Adaptations to Toxic Compounds in Drosophilids

Plants produce toxic chemicals to protect themselves from being eaten by insects. In response, many insects have evolved ways to detect and tolerate these toxins. In this project, we use the model fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to study how flies sense harmful compounds. We focus on different versions of a sensory protein called TRPA1, which helps flies detect these chemicals. By testing how these TRPA1 variants function in the fly’s taste system and nervous system, we aim to understand how insects recognize and respond to plant toxins.

Message To Sponsor

Thank you so much for supporting this opportunity! I’ve developed a deep appreciation for fruit flies as model organisms. This seemingly simple system is powerful for studying complex biological processes. Investigating how flies sense and respond to their environment has strengthened my interest in studying the nervous system in the future. Research like this helps uncover basic principles of how organisms detect and process information, which can ultimately inform our understanding of more complex systems – even in humans. This experience will be meaningful for my growth as a student and scientist, and it would not have been possible without your support.