Opsins as taste receptors across species
Official title: Opsins as a new class of evolutionarily conserved taste receptors
Funded at University of California Santa Barbara · NIH-11349733 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying whether opsins, normally light-detecting proteins, can sense tastants like amino acids in both fruit flies and mosquitoes, with potential implications for understanding how insects find food and hosts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Barbara NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2017 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $516,523 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC016278-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349733 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with interest in bite prevention and vector-borne disease research, including patients participating in registered mosquito-borne disease studies or collaborators studying taste biology.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient treatment or clinical intervention is promised; findings may inform future translational work.
What this research studies
This grant explores whether opsins act as taste receptors beyond light sensing, using fruit flies, mosquitoes, and mammalian models. The team will use electrophysiology, calcium imaging, behavioral tests, cell biology, and receptor activation assays to map how opsins contribute to taste. By comparing Drosophila, Ae. aegypti, and mouse systems, the project aims to uncover conserved mechanisms of taste detection that could influence feeding and host-seeking behaviors. The work combines genetics, molecular biology, and behavioral analysis to connect basic receptor biology with real-world disease-vector biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could reveal new targets to disrupt mosquito feeding and disease transmission, improving public health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in Drosophila show opsins can function in taste; this project expands to mosquitoes and mammals for broader relevance.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Montell, Craig — University of California Santa Barbara
- Study coordinator: Montell, Craig
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how PLP enzymes work and how to harness them
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are studying PLP-dependent enzymes to better understand their chemistry and how they can be used to make useful, complex molecules for medicines.
-
Real-time molecular monitoring in the body with advanced sensors
Aiming to measure drug and biomarker levels continuously inside the body using innovative sensors to support personalized, precise treatment.
-
Molecular genetics of how Aedes mosquitoes taste and decide to bite
Scientists are studying how the taste sense in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes works to help create better repellents that prevent bites.
-
Enabling Imaging and Alpha Therapy with New Chelators for Cancer
A cancer-focused project aims to create new chelators that let alpha-emitter radiopharmaceuticals both image and treat tumors more effectively.
-
Personalized AI for Diverse Wearable Health Data
Aging and diverse women’s health data from wearables will be used to create smarter, more accurate health insights through an AI system.
-
CAR-M immunotherapy for cancer and beyond
A cancer-fighting therapy using specially engineered macrophages (CAR-M) is being explored to work where current treatments struggle, with the aim of helping patients with various cancers and related conditions.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.