Nigel Groome Studentship: The role of nicotinic receptors in food- related reward signalling and insecticide resistance

Smokers, on average, weigh 4 to 5 kg less than non-smokers but tend to gain 4.5 kg within a year after quitting. Similarly, bees exposed to sub-lethal doses of neonicotinoids, an insecticide class mimicking nicotine, show addiction-like behaviours, leading to difficulties in feeding and foraging, and ultimately lower food intake. The molecular mechanisms by which nicotine influences body weight are not yet fully understood. Nicotinic receptors are expressed in brain regions responsible for regulating food intake. Interestingly, the expression of these receptors increases in the brain's reward circuitry following sugar intake, while our research has shown a decrease in nicotinic receptor expression in starved fruit flies.

This study aims to uncover the role of nicotinic receptors in food-related reward signalling and to assess how mutations conferring resistance to neonicotinoids impact food choice and intake, shedding light on potential fitness costs associated with these mutations.

This project is a collaborative effort between Dr Andrew Jones, a leading authority on Cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels (CysLGICs) in insects, and Dr Korneel Hens, an expert in fly genetics, CRISPR technology, and feeding behaviour.

This is an exciting opportunity to employ cutting-edge molecular techniques to address a highly relevant research question. You will utilize CRISPR technology to tag nicotinic receptors with altered expression in response to starvation in the fly brain, and employ Drosophila genetics to explore the role of these receptors in reward signalling. Additionally, you will investigate how neonicotinoid-resistant mutations in these receptors affect food choice and intake.