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| The title of the project: | The link between insect life cycles, stress resistance, metabolic dysfunction and memory formation |
| Funded by: | Latvian Council of Science |
| Programme: | Fundamental and applied research projects (FLPP) |
| Agreement number on the implementation of the project: | lzp-2024/1-0437 |
| Project applicant: | Daugavpils University (Latvia) |
| Status: | |
| Project start date: | 01.01.2025 |
| Project end date: | 31.12.2027 |
| Project manager | Tatjana Krama |
| Total funding of the project: | 300 000,00 EUR |
| Research type: | Fundamental research |
| Smart Specialization: | Biomedicine, medical technologijes, bio-pharmacy and bio-technologies |
Chronic stress is considered to be a cause of metabolic dysfunction. It is known that stress caused by predation risk induces diabetes-like biochemical and behavioural phenotypes in insects characterised by complete metamorphosis and rapid larval development. Fast, medium and slow development belong to the risk allocation (bet-hedging) strategies of the life cycle of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. These growth rate-related strategies may differ in their physiological costs and adaptive properties in stressful situations. In this project, we will investigate whether fruit flies developing at fast, medium or slow speeds can develop biochemical and behavioural phenotypes associated with diabetes. We will also investigate how learning and memory are related to fruit fly life cycle strategies. The expected results of the project will contribute to the wider use of D. melanogaster as a model organism for studying developmental stress and metabolic disorders.
Keywords
insects, metabolic dysfunction, behavioural idiosyncrasy (individuality), stress, development, memory
