Montell Lab
Principal Investigator: Craig Montell
Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)
Primary Subfield: Immunology
Recruitment Status: ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
Abstract Opsins are classical G-protein coupled receptors, which for more than a century have been thought to function exclusively as light detectors. However, using Drosophila, we have uncovered multiple, light-independent roles for opsins including detection of bitter tastants. This discovery raises exciting questions, which we propose to address here. Do opsins only respond to bitter compounds, or do they function more broadly in taste sensation? Of particular interest, do opsins serve as taste receptors in other animals, including the mosquito, Aedes (Ae.) aegypti? This vector spreads viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, and other diseases that afflict millions of people each year. Both male and female Aedes use taste to identify nectar and avoid toxic chemicals, while females use many senses to identify people for blood meals. However, the receptors required for mosquito taste are largely unknown. Another fascinating question is whether opsins serve as taste receptors in mammals. To address these questions, we propose to employ an extensive suite of approaches including electrophysiology, Ca2+ imaging, behavioral assays, cell biology, an in vitro receptor activation assay,…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01AI169386-32: Mechanisms of visual transduction and light-driven behaviors in Aedes aegypti (2026)
- 2R01DC007864-21: Molecular genetics of gustatory detection in Aedes aegypti (2026)
- 5R01DC016278-10: Opsins as a new class of evolutionarily conserved taste receptors (2026)
- 5R01AI169386-31: Mechanisms of visual transduction and light-driven behaviors in Aedes aegypti (2025)
- 5R01DC007864-20: Molecular genetics of gustatory detection (2025)
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