DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Function and Evolution of Sweet Taste Receptors in Birds

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The sense of taste is vital to an animal's survival. Current knowledge of the molecular basis of taste perception is mostly based on studies conducted on mammals, but it is unclear to what extent other vertebrates, such as birds, use similar mechanisms. From available genomic resources, it appears that part of the sweet-taste receptor is missing in birds, which raises the question of how nectar-feeders, like hummingbirds, can detect sugar. The investigators will clone candidate hummingbird taste receptors and will perform functional tests of these receptors in cell culture assays, as well as use imaging techniques to localize these taste receptors on the hummingbird tongue. Research into the sense of taste in non-model systems is important for a variety of reasons. It addresses basic questions in evolutionary biology, such as how genes lose and acquire new functions over evolutionary time. Every organism perceives the world in a unique way, through the filter of its sensory system, and understanding how these sensory systems differ can inform a variety of applications. Knowledge of bird taste abilities can be applied in developing pest control for agriculture, as well as in the formulation of appropriate diets for the pet trade or for captive breeding programs for endangered species. Many questions surrounding human diet and diet-related diseases rely on an understanding of what is palatable for humans: research into the mechanism of an alternative sweet-detection system may give novel insights into how mammalian taste functions and thus is of interest to both the flavor industry as well as to medical researchers. In addition, work on both taste and on hummingbirds has powerful outreach potential and a strong ability to engage the general public: this research will be presented in K-12 settings to introduce concepts in evolutionary biology and popularize the scientific process.